Sex Education
by MarkiplierMultiverse
Summary: Brokeback AU. Ennis is a high school shut-in, who struggles with life at home and at school. Jack Twist is a new teacher, bringing a sex ed class to the small, quiet town. In a town that knows everything that goes on, Jack and Ennis must hide a scandal that could ruin both of their lives. Story in progress.
1. Chapter 1

Ennis Del Mar woke up bright and early on Monday morning. It was a school day, but a day he was excited for nonetheless. Today was his seventeenth birthday. A day where he was free to do what he wanted, within reason. Today was his day. He could probably get away with calling in sick, but he actually _wanted_ to go to school today.

A new teacher was arriving today. All the way from Texas. In this small Wyoming town, a big shot from Texas was intriguing. Not to mention starting an entirely new class and subject. Ennis wasn't about to call in sick and then hear tomorrow of how exciting the new teacher was. Ennis wanted to experience it for himself.

Wearing only sweatpants, Ennis jumped out of bed and hurried downstairs. The sun was just now coming up and Ennis could see his dad outside tending the farm. Living outside of town wasn't the greatest, but Ennis enjoyed the peace and quiet. Something he got from his mom, who was the reason they had moved all the way out here. If his dad hadn't decided to build a farm, they would've had to commute back and forth to town to make a living. This way, dad went into town once or twice a week to sell what they grew. Carrots and potatoes were the most popular. They had some animals, but their crops always sold better.

"You're gonna end up catchin' a cold if ya keep goin' 'round like that, half naked," his mom said as Ennis came into the kitchen. She was standing at the stove, cooking breakfast. Ennis gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he passed her on his way to the fridge. "What're you doin' up so early anyhow? Ya don't hafta leave for school for another couple hours."

"I couldn't sleep," Ennis said, getting himself a glass of orange juice. "We're gettin' a new teacher today."

She immediately looked unhappy. "I heard," she said, putting her attention back on the stove. "And it ain't right. Hot shot from Texas comin' in ta teach our kids the ways of life?" She shook her head. "That should be done by the parents when the time is right. All he's gonna do is tarnish their innocent minds and maybe scar of few of y'all for life!"

"Momma, it ain't a big deal." Ennis didn't look at her as he sat down at the table. When he learned that a sex education class would be starting, he was surprised at first. The town was small enough, and strict enough, that anything different would be instantly banned. Not to mention they all went to the same church, who thought sex at any time other than to make babies was a sin. "Ya gave me that talk last year, remember? Ain't tarnishin' this innocent mind."

"But you're a male," she said. "Everyone already expects you to know those things. But what about the girls? The poor dears."

Ennis rolled his eyes while she wasn't looking and finished his juice. "Is dad still thinkin' 'bout buyin' that horse from the Beers'?" She looked grateful for the change in subject as she looked at him.

"Carl Beers said he'd give that horse to your daddy if you took Alma out," she reminded him, setting a plate of eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast in front of him. "She keeps callin' and askin' about you. Why don't you talk to her?"

"I talk to her," Ennis said, staring down into his empty glass.

"Saying hi while passing her in the hall ain't talking to her," she said. "I know you're outgoing when ya wanna be. Show her ya ain't as shy as people think ya are."

Ennis nodded but said nothing more about it. If he did, she would just get onto him about something. He ate his breakfast in silence, remaining quiet as his dad came in and sat down.

His dad eyed Ennis for a moment then shook his head. "You know better than to come out here like that," he said. "A woman don't need to see that."

"Jake…" his mom started to defend Ennis, but quieted when her husband gave her a look.

Jacob Del Mar looked back at his son. "Now ya either go and get ready for school or go outside right like that and get ya some sun," he said. "You're too pale to be a farmer. Ya need to get out more. I don't want folks thinkin' I'm raisin' a shut-in."

Ennis got up without a word and headed back to his room to get ready for school. He knew his father was only trying to raise him right. Ennis tried not to let it get to him that much, but it was difficult considering the fact that Jacob Del Mar treated Ennis like a child. Another reason Ennis didn't want to call in sick and miss school. He stepped into his bedroom and closed the door behind him then walked over to his closet.

* * *

When Ennis arrived at school, he wasn't surprised to see Alma Beers waiting for him in the hall. It was a daily routine for her. Unfortunately, she didn't see it as "going out" or else his dad would have a free horse by now. Neither of them said anything as they headed for class. Another daily routine. She seemed satisfied to just be in his presence so he didn't have to worry about speaking.

Until she stopped him at the door to his first class. "Is everything okay?" She asked. "Ya seem tense… Well, tenser than usual."

He never understood how she knew exactly what he was feeling at any given moment yet not pick up on the fact that he wasn't interested. Unless she could and promptly ignored it. Women. "It's nothin'," he said with a shrug then started for the door but stopped when she laid her hand on his arm.

"Could you give me a ride home after school?" Alma asked, obviously content with the answer he had given her. "I could call my daddy, but he's busy on the farm and it's right on your way…?" She trailed off, giving him a pleading look, with the pouting lips and everything.

"Fine," Ennis said with a slight nod. Alma seemed ecstatic about that answer. She thanked him then hurried off to her own class. Shaking his head, he pushed the door open and stepped inside the classroom.

The new class wasn't scheduled until after lunch. It was the last class for the day. The day dredged on, Ennis having to thank whoever wished him a happy birthday. Everyone knowing wasn't a big deal. The town was small enough for everyone to know almost everything that went on. You had to be clever or live outside of town to have some sort of privacy. For Ennis, being a private person, it was disconcerting to have everyone know what day it was. He found it a relief when he walked into his last class and no one was saying anything.

Ennis moved to his newly assigned desk and sat down. The new teacher hadn't arrived yet and it was already a few minutes after the scheduled time for this class to start. Ennis glanced around him, recognizing some of the other students and noticing that they were all boys. That made a certain amount of sense, at least to him. He was already a bit embarrassed by the subject and if girls were present he would feel even more awkward. But, maybe it was just the fact that there were more boys than girls in this school and he just happened to get the timeframe of this class that didn't have the girls in it.

A few minutes later the door opened and the new teacher walked in. He wasn't anything like Ennis had expected since the rest of the teachers here were over the age of forty. This man didn't seem too much younger than his parents, who were in their thirties. He was at least six feet tall, five of take an inch or two, and was wearing jeans and a plain blue shirt. He wore a cowboy hat that covered dark hair. His features were average, but the blue eyes that looked out over the class were captivating.

"Hi, y'all," the new teacher greeted with a smile and wave. "Welcome to your new class. My name's Jack Twist and if any of y'all start callin' me Mr. Twist, you're outta here." The smile still on his face assured the students that he was just joking. "Call me Jack. Now before we get into things, I just wanna have some quality time here, get to know ya. By the end of this year, I can assure you that we'll be well acquainted." There was something about the way he said that that went a chill down Ennis' spine. Whether a good or bad chill, he didn't know. There was just something different about this teacher other than the subject he was teaching and his age.

Jack Twist perched on the edge of his desk, taking off his hat and dropping it on the desk's surface behind him. He looked around at each one of the students in turn. Ennis found himself looking down to avoid eye contact. He enjoyed new teachers, but this was the worst part of it all. Why did new teachers always have to have 'quality time' like this? It was nonsense. The students all knew each other's names and Mr. Twist-Jack-should have already known as well since he had probably looked at each of their files because they would be in his class.

Ennis found himself spacing out while each of the students got up and introduced themselves, telling a little bit about their hobbies and what not. Ennis found a speck on his desk much more fascinating to stare at than to listen to what was going on around him. Which was obviously a bad idea since he jumped when something hit his desk to get his attention.

He looked up and saw Jack standing there, staring down at him. That friendly smile was still on his face, but that didn't erase the embarrassment Ennis felt by now being the center of attention.

"You interested in sharing with the class?" Jack asked before he turned and walked back over to his desk. This time, he sat down in the chair behind it. He gestured for Ennis to stand. "Tell us a bit about yourself."

Feeling his mouth go dry, Ennis swallowed then got to his feet, feeling everyone's stares on him. "My name's Ennis," he said.

"Your folks just stop at Ennis?" Jack asked, a smirk playing across his lips.

Ennis suddenly felt more subconscious than he had a moment ago. "Del Mar," he finished, his fingers fidgeting in front of him.

Jack nodded his head. "Nice to know ya, Ennis Del Mar," he said. "Have any hobbies? Other than starin' off into space in your own little world?" The way he said it, he wasn't making fun of Ennis. It almost sounded like he thought it was an endearing trait, but that was probably all in Ennis' head.

Ennis shrugged his shoulders, realizing now that he didn't do much. "Ain't got time for hobbies," he said. "I'm either workin' at the farm or at school."

"Farmboy, huh?" Jack said, looking Ennis up and down once. He leaned forward in his seat. "Young kid like you deserves some hobbies. Hopefully you'll find some free time before you become an adult. Ya can sit down now."

Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Ennis sat down, even more relieved when everyone stopped staring at him. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans then shifted in his seat and looked forward as Jack started speaking again.

"As all of y'all should know, this is a sex education class," Jack said, falling into teacher mode more. "I'll only be here for the next couple months, so I'll try to teach ya all that I can. You don't have to worry about homework or tests. It won't count toward your final grade so ya don't need this class to graduate. No one's makin' ya take this class, so if you'd rather…" He gestured toward the door. "You can leave now and you won't get in trouble for is y'all's last class of the day, so if ya don't take this class you can go home early."

There was silence for a few minutes as Jack waited to see if anyone would get up and walk out. Ennis was almost tempted to do so, but the thought of going back home right now wasn't appealing so he stayed put. His dad would probably fuss at him for not taking the class since his dad thought it was something he needed. To help break out of his shell, as his dad had put it. It wasn't surprising that no one got up and left. These were all teenage boys with one thing on their mind anyway. They would want to learn what they could about it.

Ennis was only taking the class to delay going home. He had gotten the talk from his mom last year. The last thing he wanted to do was find out more about something he wanted to avoid doing for the rest of his life. From the way his mom talked about it, the man did most of the work. It was too much pressure to put on someone.

"Today we'll be talkin' about emotional impulses," Jack said. "And three major emotions: desire, lust, and arousal. They might seem like the same thing, but trust me, there's a lot of things different about each one."

Jack stood up to walk around to the front of his desk again. Standing there made the class seem more personal. Jack was now just one of the guys talking to them instead of a strict teacher sitting behind the desk. He lifted one finger. "First: Desire," he said then lowered his hand. "Desire is defined as a strong feeling of wanting to have something or someone. Something that ya wish it could happen. In this case, a sexual partner.

"Now, sometimes it ain't wrong to have this desire," Jack went on. "We're all human beings. But there are boundaries ya just can't cross. A few of them being: without permission, incest, and beastiality. Let's cover each of these in turn."

Jack walked over to the blackboard and wrote down the three categories. He drew a line under 'without permission.' "Now what do ya think this means?" he asked, turning to the class. He pointed to someone who raised their hand.

"When a girl tells ya no," came one of the answers. A few more students gave their opinions and Jack wrote each of them down under the category. He did the same with the other two categories as well. Ennis didn't speak up during any of it and was glad he wasn't chosen to speak. He did his best to write it all down as fast as he could. His mom hadn't covered any of this during her talk, so he suddenly found himself interested in learning what he could.

"Next up: Lust," Jack said, turning to face the class once again. "Similar to desire, but unlike desire, lust mainly focuses on sexual desires. For instance, you can desire something someone else owns, but depending on what that something is, you can't lust for it. Do y'all get my meaning?" There were a few nods, but it seemed like no one really cared to begin with. Ennis was still writing things down.

"When ya lust for someone, you're thinking about them all the time," Jack said. "Which brings us to the third subject: arousal. Now the word aroused or arousal could be defined as something totally innocent, but that ain't what I'm teachin'. Arousal is the feeling you get after a certain time of lusting after someone. Now it can be a lot of other things, but our main focus is the erection. Now I'm sure you boys have dealt with morning wood, so I don't have to go into much detail about what an erection is."

Ennis wrote down the word erection, spacing out into his own little world as he tried to think of what that meant without looking like an idiot by asking. He couldn't remember his mom ever using the word, but he did know what morning wood was. When a penis got long and hard. It hadn't personally happened to Ennis yet and he wasn't about to mention this to the class.

He looked up from his notebook when the bell rang. Ennis had missed the rest of the lesson. He gathered his things and got up, following the rest of the students out. And as he walked out, he was partly aware of the fact that Jack Twist followed him with his eyes the entire walk out.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

After school, Ennis headed out to his truck, not surprised to see Alma standing there. He hadn't exactly been trying to avoid her, but he hadn't been trying to find her either. If she wasn't waiting there, he wouldn't have given her a ride. And judging by the look on her face, she knew that as well. But she didn't look upset about it. She couldn't be upset about anything he did. She had a crush on him and if she had anything to say about it, they were already dating.

Unfortunately, her daddy didn't believe that, so the Del Mars were still lacking one horse.

"Hey, Ennis," Alma said with a warm smile once he was close. "Hope ya don't mind me waitin'. I was afraid you'd forget."

"Yeah, I've had a lot on my mind today," Ennis said, opening the truck door and climbing into the driver's seat.

Alma got into the passenger side. "Speaking of which," she said, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a small package. "Happy birthday." She held the gift out to him.

"Ya didn't have to get me anything," Ennis said. He wasn't one to receive gifts. The only gift his parents ever gave him was a day free from chores. He liked to spend his birthdays alone. He was looking forward to getting home and spending time by himself just sitting in the fields.

"I wanted to," Alma said. "It's a birthday tradition, after all." Of course she didn't know his birthday habits even though they had known each other since they were toddlers. She didn't know because he didn't let people know. He kept things to himself. He didn't let anyone in because he had seen what happened to people who did.

The Del Mars used to have more than just the Beers' as neighbors. Ennis could remember two ranchers, Earl and Rich, who had been run out of town because they were homosexuals. Earl had come over to talk to Ennis' dad and had confided in him about his and Rich's relationship. Earl had thought he could trust Jake, but Jake had went straight to town and told everyone. Ennis never saw Earl and Rich after that and hadn't asked any questions about why they left. Ennis just learned to never confide in anyone because they could betray you.

Ennis took the gift from Alma and opened it as she watched, a bright smile on her face. He dumped the contents into his hand, seeing that it was the bit from a horse's bridle. He studied it for a moment then looked at Alma, who nodded her head excitedly.

"I convinced daddy to give y'all the horse," Alma said. "I know he said he wouldn't till ya took me out, but I know how much y'all need that horse and I thought it was the nice thing to do." She probably thought that it would make him go out with her faster, but he didn't mention that.

"Thanks, Alma," Ennis said, feeling a slight warmth in his stomach from seeing her smile now. He didn't know what had changed, but he was starting to see a different side of her now that proved she wasn't just doing this to get him to notice her. She had stressed the point that it was for "y'all" instead of just "you."

But, perhaps it was just a ploy. Ennis didn't know much about women, after all. She could still just be bribing him.

If so, he would still try to be nice to her.

* * *

Ennis climbed up onto the fence around the new horse, Starbright's enclosure to watch the sun set. After dropping off Alma, Ennis had gone home to tell his dad about the horse being given as a birthday gift. Ennis and his dad immediately went back to the Beers' to pick up the horse. Ennis had ridden it back home and then around their land for a few hours before fencing it in. Thanks to the horse, his birthday had been a bit more enjoyable.

 _Thanks to Alma,_ he should say. If it wasn't for her talking to her dad, the Del Mars would never have gotten the horse. Because the last thing Ennis was interested in was a romantic relationship. He saw what happened when two people loved each other. His parents rarely had moments where they seemed like they even liked each other. He was better off alone.

He permitted himself a small smile as he watched the sun go down. He was seventeen. Only one more year before graduation. One more year and he could leave home and start his own life. A reality he would probably never see since his parents needed him on the farm, but it was a nice thought. He hated to think that his only possible way off this farm was to marry Alma.

Ennis hopped off the fence and headed inside. His parents had made him a birthday dinner and his mom was still cleaning up as he came inside. She gave him a smile as he walked past them headed to his room. He dressed for bed then crawled under the covers. It didn't take him long to get to sleep.

* * *

The next day at school, the time passed fairly quickly. All the other classes breezed on by, including lunch. Ennis had sat with Alma during lunch and she had talked off the wall about anything and everything, giving him the chance to just sit there in silence. She hadn't seemed to mind. After lunch, there were a couple more classes before the sex ed one with Jack Twist. Ennis hadn't exactly been looking forward to the class, but he couldn't deny that he was curious about what Jack would teach them today.

"Today I wanna talk about good ol'masturbation," Jack said once everyone had arrived and settled in to listen. Not everyone was taking notes, probably thinking they didn't want to take it home where their mothers would find it. It would be similar to mothers finding dirty magazines in their sons' rooms. "I'm sure you boys know more about that than you let your folks on, am I right?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I'd be discussin' a little bit more on this subject if we had ladies in the class, but for now I'm just stuck with you boys. It's more down my alley anyhow, if ya know what I mean."

Jack went on a bit longer on the subject, talking about sex toys that could be used for male masturbation. Ennis tried to pay attention to it all, but it was starting to make him just the slightest bit uncomfortable. He focused on his notes, doodling along the edges of the notebook as time passed.

Finally the bell rang and Jack gave them their first homework assignment despite the fact that he had said the day before that they wouldn't have to worry about homework or tests: "I want y'all to go home and write something. You can hand it in anonymous, if ya want. And I want ya to think about this real hard cos tomorrow I'm gonna be talkin' 'bout it.

"Your sexuality," Jack went on. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. Just know that your sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of. Be proud of who you are." He held up one finger as if he had forgotten something then reached into his desk and pulled out a pile of pamphlets. He stood up and started to hand them out around the class. "This is for just in case you don't know or are unsure of your sexuality. It lists the type, along with the description. And in the back, there's a quiz you can take that'll tell ya what you sexuality you could fit in to." Once he was finished handing them out, he walked back to his desk at the front of the room.

And as the bell rang and the students filed out, Jack reminded them again they could hand in their assignments anonymously if they decided to do it. Ennis stuffed the pamphlet into his backpack and hurried out after everyone else.

* * *

 _To be continued...  
_


	3. Chapter 3

When Ennis got home after school, he headed upstairs and deposited his backpack onto his bed then headed outdoors to do his chores. He finished up just in time for supper. Evening meals with his parents were quiet, and this wasn't too different. The only things that were said was that Ennis would have to stay home tomorrow morning to help out with picking the crops. He could go to school after lunch with no worries about missing anything important. Ennis found himself relieved that he wouldn't be missing Jack's class.

After supper, Ennis went upstairs and closed his door then walked over to his bed, sitting down. He pulled out the pamphlet Jack had handed out and flipped through the few pages, reading the different types of sexualities, but not fully understanding some of them. And he couldn't bring himself to sit there and read through every description. He felt as if he had a dirty magazine in his hand and he kept glancing over at his door to make sure his mom didn't walk in and catch him with it.

He turned the pamphlet over to read the quiz on the back, reading the questions and answers, but not answering any of them. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to write something, so he preferred not to know where he fit into. He didn't want to fit in anywhere. He just wanted to be him. With no sex life. He got up and dropped the pamphlet into the trash then dragged his backpack over to the desk and sat down.

He turned on his lamp then opened his notebook, carefully writing his name at the top of the page. He sat there staring at it for a moment then ripped that page out and started over. Jack had mentioned that they could hand it in anonymously. If he actually ended up writing anything, he would prefer to remain anonymous. Even though there was the possibility Jack would know just by the handwriting. None of the students had handed anything in for Jack to distinguish between handwriting, but Ennis was starting to become paranoid.

"Then don't write it," Ennis muttered, dropping the pencil onto his desk. He leaned back in his seat, but found himself leaning forward a few minutes later, reaching for the pencil. It was that moment he knew he would write something because it was about a part of himself that he hadn't really thought about.

He knew he wasn't ready for a relationship. Thinking hard, he realized there wasn't a girl in school that he was attracted to. There was that brief feeling of warmth toward Alma yesterday, but he felt that that had just been him warming up to the idea that they could be good friends. Friends. That was it. He wasn't looking for a relationship. And just because he wasn't attracted to any of the girls in school didn't make him gay. He couldn't think of any guys in school that he was attracted to either.

His dad would probably still call him gay and disown him. His mom would probably say that the right girl hadn't come along just yet.

He needed to make sure this never came up in conversation.

Ennis started jotting down his thoughts, finding himself stressing the point that he wasn't attracted to any of the guys. He knew what his dad thought about 'them homos' and didn't want to categorize himself into that. Seeing all of his thoughts down on paper, he realized just how much of a shut-in he was. He knew he was only supposed to write about his sexuality, but he felt the need to include that he was a virgin and had never once experienced morning wood. He left his name out of it.

He closed his notebook then turned out the light and headed down the hall to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

* * *

The next morning, Ennis was up early like every other day. He quickly got dressed, pulling on his boots then headed downstairs. His mom was making breakfast and let him know that his father was already out working the crops. Ennis pulled on a light jacket then headed out, seeing storm clouds in the distance. His dad wanted the crops taken care of before the storm winds blew in and ruined most of them. They needed to work fast if it was anything like last year's storm.

Ennis had had to take summer school because he hadn't gone to school before, during, and after that storm last year. It had also been the storm that claimed his brother's life. Life on the farm hadn't been the same after that. His dad had been rough on him before, but now it was worse because his dad expected him to pick up where K.E left off. To become the son K.E had been.

"Ennis!"

At the sound of his dad's shout, Ennis quickened his pace. Over the next couple of hours, he did as he was told with no fussing or back talk. In fact, no word came out of his mouth the entire morning. His dad didn't have a problem with that. He was just happy Ennis was out there helping so he wouldn't have to do it all on his own. Sometimes Ennis could tell that his dad was proud of him, but there were more times where Ennis knew his dad would be better off without Ennis around.

Ennis didn't have time to shower or change before he headed off for the last few hours of school. He could have skipped school entirely, but after a full morning working with his dad, Ennis would rather be somewhere else. Even if it meant going to school and handing in that paper. A paper he didn't realize he had forgotten until he walked into Jack's class, seeing the other students placing their papers on the desk.

Jack had said they didn't have to do it if they didn't want to, but every other student, clearly, had done it, which would only leave one unaccounted for and it probably wouldn't be too hard to figure out who hadn't handed in the paper, despite whether or not it was handed in anonymously. Ennis could imagine the ridicule he would face. They'd call him a pussy for not having the balls to do it. And telling them he had wouldn't change anything because he hadn't handed it in now. He then decided to talk to Jack after class, to tell him he had done the paper but had forgotten it. Jack would understand and remind him to bring it tomorrow. Problem solved.

Ennis slid into the seat at his desk just as Jack walked into the classroom. He looked at the papers on his desk, but didn't touch or say anything about them. He closed the door then walked over to stand in front of his desk.

"I'm glad to see y'all did the paper," Jack said. "Hopefully you've learned something about yourself that you can be proud of. Don't let the town influence ya. I know how small towns can be. I came from one, after all." He gave a smile then got into the lesson for the day.

When the bell rang, Jack didn't give them an assignment. He sat at his desk to go through the papers as the students all filed out. Ennis took his time gathering his things then started forward once everyone was out.

"Uh, Mr..." Ennis started quietly then started over. "Jack?"

Jack looked up from the papers. "Yes?" he asked. He rested both arms on the desk, leaning on them slightly to give Ennis his full attention.

"I, uh, did the paper," Ennis said, feeling awkward. He didn't usually talk to teachers unless spoken to first. "But I forgot it. I would've had it, but things got busy at home and it, uh, slipped my mind."

Jack got up then walked over to the door and closed it before coming back, standing beside the desk a few feet away from Ennis. "There were some anonymous ones in there," he said, sitting down on the corner of the desk but still facing Ennis. "I wouldn't have known whether or not you handed in a paper or not. I can already guess that a few didn't hand one in either."

"I didn't really wanna do the paper at first," Ennis said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "But I was raised to be honest. Since I did the paper and then forgot it at home, I jus' thought ya should know. That's all."

"I appreciate the honesty, Ennis," Jack said, a smile on his face. "If you want, you can hand it in tomorrow after class. If ya wanna keep it anonymous, that is."

Ennis thought about the kind of looks he'd get if he handed in his paper tomorrow at the start of class. None of the other students would know what was on that paper, but what would they think was on it? He started imagining the worst and then imagined his dad hearing about it and making Ennis' life more of a living hell than it already was at times.

"I'll hand it in after class," Ennis said. Jack nodded his head then watched as Ennis turned and left.

* * *

When Ennis got home, he was a bit surprised to see Alma sitting in the living room talking with his mom. Alma waved at him then went back to talking. Ennis headed upstairs to put his backpack away. He looked around for the paper to hand in tomorrow by hiding it in his backpack for the night, but couldn't find it. He was starting to think he had actually brought it to school, so he opened his backpack.

"Can I come in?"

Ennis closed the backpack at the sound of Alma's voice. He turned to see her standing in the doorway. "I, uh, gotta head out for chores," he said, zipping his backpack closed then kicking it under his bed.

"Mind if I walk out there with ya?"

Ennis shook his head then walked past her and back downstairs. With Alma following, he headed out the door and toward the barn where his dad was currently working.

His dad spotted Alma walking with Ennis and Ennis didn't like the satisfied look on his dad's face. The only reason why their parents were pushing for a relationship between Ennis and Alma was because they were neighbors, even though they lived a few miles away from each other. Their houses were the only two houses for about ten miles.

"Since when did y'all start hangin' out on a regular basis?" his dad asked once they had walked closer.

"I came by to give Mrs. Del Mar some cookies I baked," Alma said, a smile on her face. She reached forward to take Ennis's hand. Ennis covered his avoidance by reaching for a shovel to start his chores.

"That's mighty kind of ya, Alma, honey," his dad said then stopped Ennis from grabbing the shovel. "We've got a guest, Ennis. Entertain her. I've got the chores settled." He patted Ennis on the back then headed back into the barn.

Ennis watched him go then slowly turned back to Alma. "I hope I'm not a bother," she said. "I honestly did just come over to give y'all some cookies. I'll leave if ya want me to."

Ennis knew what she wanted to hear, but so wanted to tell her what he wanted to say. Instead, he merely mumbled "It's all right" then started back toward the house, Alma following.

Before they got too close, Alma grabbed his hand and led him off toward the back of the house then away from it and toward the open land that stretched for miles. Mountains were off in the distance, but not within walking range. When they were far enough away from the house, Alma stopped by a tree and turned to him.

"What do ya think of Mr. Twist's class?" she asked. Ennis had never even thought about the possibility of Alma taking the class. He was glad they didn't take the class in the same time frame. He felt awkward enough there without people he knew. "Mama doesn't want me to take the class. And she doesn't know I do. Neither does my daddy."

"It's fine, I guess," Ennis said, kicking at the rocks beneath his feet. "I think my ma only has a problem with it cos Jack'll be teachin' girls."

"Jack?"

Ennis looked up to see a confused look on Alma's face. "He said we could call him that."

"Your class must be full of boys, then," Alma said. She didn't sound like the sweet, naive, innocent girl she usually was around people. And the look she was getting in her eyes proved it. "At least they'll be educated."

Ennis suddenly felt uncomfortable. Alma went on, "My daddy told me the facts of life when I was a little girl, so I know most of what's what. But it's like Mr. Twist is openin' up an entirely new book! I've been so fascinated with what he's taught so far!" Ennis had a feeling this was leading somewhere. Why else would she have taken him half a mile away from the house?

"Have you ever touched yourself?" Alma asked. "You know? Down there?" She pointed toward his crotch.

"I think we should head inside -"

"I touch myself sometimes," Alma said. "Before Mr. Twist came to town. I was takin' a bath and started thinkin' about you -"

Ennis took a few steps back, away from her. "I think you should go before it gets too late," he said.

"Can I see it?" Alma asked, eyeing his crotch now. "I'll show you mine." She reached up under her knee-length skirt and pulled down her panties. He turned away before she could lift her skirt. "Mr. Twist said openin' up to people is a sign of trust." She took Ennis's hand. "And I trust you more than anyone." She guided his hand to between her legs.

Ennis felt her warmth beneath his fingers, her most secret place no longer a secret to him. Something happened inside him that he couldn't describe. But he yanked his hand away from her and walked as fast as he could back to the house without looking back.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait between updates. I'll try harder to get this updated more often.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Concerning the time period, I wanna keep it as close to the original as I possibly can. But since I'm not planning on directly stating which year it is, you can put it in any time period that you want.

* * *

Ennis didn't look back until he was inside his house. He heard his parents in the kitchen as he made his way upstairs to the bathroom. He shut the door and washed his hands, wanting to be free of the feeling and memory of what Alma had done. He couldn't go to his parents about it because he knew they would blame him over her. It would be better for him to just forget it ever happened. And try not to be alone with Alma ever again.

A knock came at the door. "Ennis? You okay?" his mom asked. "Did Alma go on home?"

Ennis looked down at his hand then pushed the memory away as he turned and opened the door. "Yeah, she had to go," he mumbled, stepping past her. "I got homework to do."

"What about your supper?"

"I'll eat later," Ennis said, closing himself off in his bedroom. He remained standing at the door until he heard his mom's footsteps retreating down the stairs. He let out a long breath when he heard muffled voices coming from downstairs. He stepped away from the door and over to his desk.

The paper for Jack's class had fallen behind his desk. He grabbed it then sat down, feeling like so much had changed in his life between the time he wrote the paper and now. And it was all because of Alma. Jack may have been teaching them some things, but something actually happening was quite different than talking about something that may happen.

Though he was trying his hardest to forget, Alma's question came back to him: _Have you ever touched yourself? You know? Down there?_

Jack had taught on masturbation and Ennis had written down all the he could. But that didn't mean he had been paying attention at the time. He set the paper down then grabbed his notebook, flipping through the pages to find his notes on masturbation. Since there were no girls in the class Ennis attended, masturbation of the opposite sex never came up. He was only curious about that because of what had just happened with Alma. And though he wanted to forget, he found himself becoming curious.

But not about Alma.

Ennis got up and moved over to his door, opening it a crack before slipping out and ducking back into the bathroom. He locked the bathroom door then faced the full-length mirror. He unfastened his jeans then pushed them down past his knees, along with his boxers. He then straightened up, lifting his shirt just slightly to expose his cock and balls more. He felt like he was committing the worst sin ever, standing there staring at his nakedness. He glanced fearfully at the door then back at the mirror.

Slowly he moved his hand, cupping his balls and getting a feel for it before he wrapped his hand around his cock. He was still feeling fear, but there was another feeling building inside him. Something he had never felt before. It felt similar to the feeling he felt when his hand had been between Alma's legs. That feeling started to grow as Ennis moved his hand up and down the length of his cock, as Jack's lesson had described. What happened next surprised him, but he couldn't stop because it was starting to feel good.

His cock grew harder and longer in length. He kept up the pace, his hips aching to move with the rhythm of his hand. His breathing started getting heavy, stroking himself faster. A choked groan came from him after a moment, fighting to keep quiet as the feeling exploded inside him and he shot a load onto the mirror.

"Fuck," he muttered, quickly pulling his jeans back on. He wet a towel and cleaned up the mess then quickly left the bathroom.

Closing himself off back in his room, he had another paper to write.

* * *

Jack walked into the classroom the next morning, checking his schedule to remember which students he had at which times. He held three classes every day, one in the morning, one during lunch, and one right before the last bell. He taught the same lessons to all three classes, so remembering that wasn't the hard part. It was remembering who he had in class so he didn't accidentally call a student by the wrong name. He wanted the students to feel like they had some sort of personal connection with him so the class wouldn't be too awkward, learning from a stranger.

A knock came at his door. Jack turned to see Ennis standing in the doorway, a paper in hand. The paper he promised to hand in. Jack lifted his hand and gestured for Ennis to come in.

Ennis walked in, a bit nervously, Jack noticed. "You coulda waited til this afternoon to hand it in," Jack said, holding his hand out for the paper.

"I had to do a rewrite," Ennis said. He looked down at the paper. "I, uh, didn't want anyone to see me hand it in." He handed it over to Jack. Jack thought about asking why Ennis felt that way, but everyone was free to feel the way they wanted to about something. "That's all." He turned to go.

"I'll be givin' the class another assignment," Jack said, enjoying the view of Ennis walking away too much. His eyes were looking where they were supposed to when Ennis turned back, of course. "A detailed description of the birds and bees talk your parents gave ya. It'll be my lesson tomorrow."

"Why're you tellin' me now?" Ennis asked. From the first moment he laid eyes on Ennis, Jack knew there was something about him that was special. And that wasn't just because Jack was attracted to him. It was wrong, but it being wrong was what made it so much more exciting to Jack. He had been up late last night, jerking off in bed to thoughts of Ennis. The way those jeans hugged his tight little ass...

"You seem like the type that needs a warning before something's sprung on him," Jack said. "Seein' as how you're turnin' this paper in late. I won't hold it against ya, don't worry. My class don't affect your grade, remember?"

Ennis just nodded. He obviously wasn't a big talker, but Jack didn't mind that. He liked the quiet type. "You better get to class or you'll be late," Jack said. Ennis gave another nod then turned and left.

Jack still had a few minutes before his own class started. He sat down at his desk and looked at Ennis's paper. It started out with Ennis explaining that he hadn't really thought about his sexuality. Not until Alma Beers. Jack remembered the name. She was in his lunch hour class. She pretended to be the sweet, innocent type, but Jack knew she knew more than she let on about everything he taught.

And that was proven even more as Ennis described what had happened when Alma came over to his house. The way Alma opened herself to him, guiding his hand to between her legs. Ennis couldn't explain how that made him feel, but he knew that it had scared the shit out of him. Alma had put curiosity in Ennis. So much so that Ennis had closed himself off in his bathroom to masturbate for the first time.

Jack didn't get to the end of the paper. He started to imagine Ennis in his bathroom, stroking himself. In his mind's eye, it was such a beautiful image and he didn't even know what Ennis looked like naked. He reached under the desk, palming himself, trying to talk himself out of those thoughts. It didn't help. He was growing hard. He unzipped his jeans, pulling his cock out to quickly jerk off. He started cumming as students started filing in. None of them paid attention to him so he finished, tucking himself back into his jeans.

He would worry about the mess later.

* * *

When Ennis walked into Jack's class later that afternoon, the look he got from Jack said that Jack had read his paper. Ennis quickly looked away and sat down at his desk. He already felt embarrassed enough for what he had revealed in that paper. But, part of him felt comfortable with doing it. He couldn't talk to his parents about this and he knew Jack wouldn't say anything to anyone. Jack's class was a safe space.

And maybe Jack could make sense of the feeling Ennis had when he had touched Alma and then himself.

The class went by fairly quickly, with Jack announcing the assignment he wanted for tomorrow. Ennis hung back as the other students left. He didn't walk forward until he was the only one there, besides Jack. He stopped in front of Jack's desk.

"Y'know, if what ya went through is traumatizing, you can seek help," Jack said. "Tellin' your folks is the first place to start."

Ennis shook his head. "Can't do that," he said. "That's why I put it in that paper." He didn't want to go into how his parents, namely his dad, saw things. He was raised to be oldfashioned. So if anything happened to a woman that wasn't appropriate, it was always the man's fault. He didn't want to make things worse with his dad by telling him what had happened with Alma. Or what that meeting with Alma had led to. Ennis knew he would be doing a lot of confessing at church on Sunday.

Jack didn't look like he needed an explanation. "You know you can tell me anything, Ennis," he said. "Do your folks -"

"My family life is good," Ennis said. "I'll have that assignment in on time tomorrow." He turned and left.


	5. Chapter 5

Friday. The weekend was almost within reach. But Ennis wasn't too excited about the weekend considering the fact that that was when his father put the most work on him. He expected this weekend to be even busier than usual because Ennis had been slacking off with some chores this week. He didn't mean to. Everything that had happened this week had taken up a lot of Ennis's thinking time. He could tell when his daddy was mad and knew that this weekend was going to be hell. At least he had Sunday to look forward to. The Del Mars didn't work on the Lord's Day, as his momma said.

When Ennis walked into school, he cringed inwardly as he saw Alma walk up. He hadn't talked to her since that evening she had led him off to try and talk him into dropping his pants. He could probably keep on avoiding her, but if he did that, she might say something to her daddy and then Mr. Beers would be over talking to Ennis's parents and who knew what they would even talk about? If anything, he needed to face her now.

But, she acted as if nothing had happened between them. "Howdy, Ennis," she said with her usual bright smile. "Have any plans for the weekend?"

"Chores," Ennis mumbled, turning to head for his first class. She stayed walking right beside him.

"I talked to your momma," Alma said. It looked like she was tempted to reach over and take his hand. He knew she would only want to walk hand in hand, but he couldn't help but think about the last time she had taken his hand. He moved his hand just slightly away from her. She didn't appear to notice. "I asked if you and I could go horseback ridin' on Saturday. She said it was okay."

"No chaperone?"

Alma laughed. "It's only me, silly," she said. "We practically grew up together. Your momma trusts me." She smiled sweetly at him and he was afraid she would try to pull something while on that ride. "Starbright needs some exercise and she hasn't seen her ol' pal Lucky Fly in a few days." Lucky Fly was her horse that she had had for years. In fact, Lucky Fly was Starbright's daddy.

Ennis stopped at the door to his class and looked at Alma. "Not sure if my dad -"

"I'll handle it," Alma said. She patted him on the arm then turned and walked off.

Ennis watched her go, wishing that all it would be was an innocent horseback ride between friends. But the last time he had seen her...

Deciding that it would be fine if he missed his first class, it wouldn't be the first time, Ennis turned and headed for the room Jack's class was in. Jack had said yesterday that Ennis could tell him anything. And since Jack knew everything that had happened between him and Alma, Ennis could go to Jack about this.

He stepped up to the door and gave a light knock before opening it. Jack was standing at the desk, sorting out some paperwork. No one else was there, so thankfully the class hadn't yet started. He stepped in and closed the door behind him as Jack turned his head.

"Ennis," Jack said with a smile of greeting. He put the papers down and turned, sitting on the edge of the desk. "Here to hand in your paperwork early again?"

Ennis had stayed up later than usual working on that paper. He was okay with handing it out in class, but since he was here, he pulled it out of his backpack and handed it over. Jack placed it down on the desk without even looking at it. "I gotta talk to you 'bout somethin'," Ennis mumbled, shuffling his feet. "It's...Alma."

"She tried something else?" Jack asked, appearing concerned. The fact that he cared about Ennis's wellbeing let Ennis know that this was a safe space.

"She wants to go horseback ridin' on Saturday," Ennis said. "Just us."

"You think she'll try something then?"

Ennis didn't really answer the question. "I don't really wanna go," he said. "But if I don't, it'll look like -" He stopped when Jack turned and wrote something down on paper then hold the paper out to Ennis. Ennis took the paper and looked at it.

"It's a teacher assistant job," Jack said. "You'll be here on Saturday, helpin' me grade papers and get things ready for next week's classes. And unlike my actual class, this assignment will affect your grade. I'm just on my way to the principal to let him know."

A great weight lifted from Ennis's shoulders. "And that'll take up the entire day?" he asked. Jack nodded his head. "What do I do with the paper?"

"You give it to your parents after school this afternoon," Jack said. "Once they see that it'll affect your grade, they can't keep you from doin' it if they want you to graduate." It probably wouldn't affect his grade that much, but Ennis understood that that point needed to come up with his parents if he wanted to spend the day away from whatever Alma had planned. Ennis would rather spend this weekend in school.

He would still run into Alma at church on Sunday, but she wouldn't dare try anything on him there. Of course...he never would have thought she would pull anything on him the other evening either.

"I'll need you here tomorrow at nine a.m.," Jack said. He pointed toward the door. "Now get on to class." He turned and sat down at the desk, going back to sorting through the papers.

Ennis turned and walked out.

* * *

Ennis didn't run into Alma again until after school. Ever since he spoke to Jack he had run on autopilot so he wasn't too sure if Jack had given another assignment to do over the weekend. But, he always had tomorrow to ask.

"Drive me home?" Alma asked, slipping her arm through his. He wished she had tried to grab his hand instead. At least then he could have avoided it. And when he tried to pull away now, she just moved closer to him, pressing against him as they walked, making him uncomfortable. He wasn't the type to say anything though. "It'll give me an opening to talk to your folks about tomorrow."

"I can't."

"Can't what?"

"I can't go out ridin' with ya," Ennis said, keeping his eyes forward. He could feel her staring at him, but didn't look at her even when she pulled them both to a halt. "I gotta be here tomorrow to help Jack. An assignment that'll affect my grade, so I cain't miss it."

"Pretty convenient that ya just happen to get this assignment the day of -"

"It's Friday, he needs help on Saturday," Ennis said as if it would have happened whether or not she wanted to go horseback riding. "He probably does this every week. I just happen to be the first one he picked."

Alma didn't sound convinced. "Surely we can still go out -"

"It's all day."

"I can wait."

Ennis pulled his arm away from her and turned to her. "If you wanna go out ridin' that badly, you can go without me, y'know," he said, unable to tell if his words hurt her feelings or not. "I'll give ya a ride home today, but I can't go with ya tomorrow."

"That's okay, my daddy's gonna be pickin' me up," Alma said. "We can always go next week." She turned and hurried off. Ennis watched her go, frustrated with upsetting her, but how else was he supposed to have handled that? He couldn't give her an outright no, he'd be on the ass end of that outcome. He had an excuse, everything would be fine.

* * *

"As if goin' to that class every day ain't enough, he's gonna have ya on the weekend as well?!" Ennis's mom wasn't pleased by the assignment Jack had given to him. His dad didn't seem to care, but his dad thought Ennis needed this class to grow as a man, so he might go right along with anything Jack had planned.

"He's not gonna be teachin' me tomorrow," Ennis said. "It's just an assistant job. I'll help him grade and get lessons ready for next week, that's all. It might not even take that long."

"Good, 'cause Alma called this mornin' askin' if you could go horseback ridin' with her tomorrow," she said. "I think that's a better idea than aidin' that hotshot Texan with his crude, erotic -"

"I don't know when I'll be back," Ennis said. "I told Alma she could go without me if she wanted to."

"A young girl like her go alone?" his mom asked. "I never would have thought of such an idea! No. You make it right back here as soon as you can so you can go out ridin' with her. A young girl needs a chaperone and you're practically an adult." Sometimes Ennis wished his parents were more strict about certain things. They had no problem with Ennis being alone with a girl. Especially when that girl was someone they had been trying to pair him up with for a good while now.

"I'll do my best," Ennis said then turned and headed for his room. He dropped his backpack then collapsed on his bed with a sigh.

He didn't know what tomorrow would bring.


	6. Chapter 6

Ennis was up early on Saturday morning. He made sure he was up before his parents then headed outside after getting dressed to get some chores down before he would head into town to help Jack with preparing the class for next week. He breathed in the fresh air as he walked outside, enjoying the slight drizzle from the rain clouds up above. It had rained harder during the night, turning the ground muddy, but the storm was now blowing away and didn't threaten anything worse than what had already happened. None of the crops were damaged from the rain and they were almost ripe for picking. Sometime next week, after the crops were gathered, his dad would go into town and sell them at the local supermarket. Ennis may or may not go with him, depending on what happened with school next week.

He thought about taking Starbright out for a quick ride, but decided against it. He brushed the horses, refilled the hay, and checked to make sure their water was clean. Once he was finished there, he sat on the fence to watch the sunrise. The arrival of the sun chased away what remained of the rain clouds. He hopped off the fence then headed inside for breakfast, getting a good whiff of bacon as he walked in. His mom didn't seem surprised that he was up and about so early. She had probably heard him get up.

"Mind givin' your father a ride into town?" she asked without turning away from the stove where she was frying bacon and eggs. Ennis moved over to the sink to wash his hands, which had accumulated a good amount of filth after cleaning up around the barn. "He's gotta head to the bank to pay some bills and do a few other errands around town."

"I don't mind," Ennis said, drying his hands. "How do I give him a ride back if I'm still busy at the school?"

"He might catch a ride with Mr. Beers," she replied. She finished with cooking, making him a plate and setting it on the table. She fixed up two more plates for herself and his dad then washed the pans she had used. "But if you're done by then..."

"If Mr. Twist doesn't need me for long, then I'll give dad a ride home as well," Ennis promised as he sat down at the table. He said a quick grace then ate his food, finishing up by the time his dad walked in, dressed for a casual day in town.

"Get your chores done this mornin'?" his dad asked as he sat down at the table after greeting his wife with a peck on her cheek. She brought him a cup of coffee before she sat down herself to eat.

"Yes, sir," Ennis said with a nod. He took his empty plate to the sink and washed it.

"Good," his dad said. "When's your teacher want ya over yonder?"

"About nine."

His dad checked the time. It was just a little after seven. "If you're early, maybe he'll let ya go early," he said. Ennis wasn't going to argue with him, but he didn't even know if Jack would even be at the school before nine. "We'll leave as soon as I'm done eatin'."

"Yes, sir," Ennis said. Then left the kitchen and headed for his room.

He washed his face and changed his shirt then grabbed his backpack just in case as he headed back downstairs. His dad was ready to leave by the time Ennis came downstairs. They left together and jumped in the truck and drove off.

The drive was silent for a few minutes, then his dad spoke up: "You tryin' to avoid Alma, son?" Ennis wasn't surprised to hear the question, but had never wanted to address it with either of his parents. He didn't have a choice now. He just hoped his dad didn't demand too many details. Ennis already felt awkward enough with telling Jack everything that had happened.

"Not tryin' to on purpose," Ennis replied, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove.

"Bullshit," his dad said. He never would have used that kind of language around his wife. "I know your mother's been tryin' to set y'all up. It might be somethin' ya need. Won't be too long before you two are adults. Findin' a good wife ain't easy these days. You'd be lucky to have her."

Ennis didn't like the thought of marriage. He wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. Especially since he wasn't even ready for the responsibility that came with having a girlfriend. And Alma just plain scared him. "What if I ain't ready to get married?" he asked.

"Ya still got a couple years," his dad said. "Alma's only sixteen, after all. You'd have to wait til she was eighteen."

"What if I'm still not ready by then?"

"You will be."

Ennis fell silent, not wanting to discuss it any further. If only his parents saw Alma the way he did, then he wouldn't have to worry about getting married to her in a couple of years. Of course, if they knew Alma the way Ennis did, they might demand they get married now. Only a husband was allowed to touch his wife the way Ennis had touched Alma. Even though, touching her that way was the last thing Ennis had wanted. He pushed the memory away before he became too tempted to tell his dad everything right then and there.

"I invited Alma to supper tonight," his dad said. "Since you ain't goin' horseback ridin' with her this afternoon, the least you could do is make it up to her later tonight."

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, I did."

"Why can't you just let me handle things my own way, in my own time?" Ennis didn't know where this sudden bravery came from, but as soon as the question was out of his mouth, he regretted it and wished he could take it back.

"Nothin'll ever get done if we do that," his dad said. He would usually scold Ennis for having an attitude, but his dad seemed like he was in a better mood today, so he hadn't detected any attitude in Ennis's question. "You need a woman in your life. Especially now that you're takin' classes on the birds and the bees."

"What d'you mean?"

"Once your mind is exposed to shit like that, hormones start goin' crazy," his dad said. "I know by experience. I might not have taken classes like you're doin', but I was exposed to similar things when I was your age. Don't tell your mother, but she wasn't the first lady I shared a bed with. It's common for boys your age to have some experience before marriage."

"But momma says -"

"Your momma's been goin' to church too long," his dad said. "And things are just different for boys that she just can't understand. I'm not sayin' you have to have a roll in the hay with Alma, but if ya ever get an urge, remember she's there. And once you've established dominance, she can't say anything to fuck up your reputation. Y'all can still say your both virgins the day you get married."

Ennis was glad when they finally pulled into town. It meant the conversation was over. He dropped his dad off at the bank then hurried over to the school. He parked the truck, noticing a few other cars in the parking lot. The school janitor, the principal, and Jack's fancy Ford truck with Texas plates. Ennis was less than an hour early, but hopefully that wouldn't matter as long as Jack was already here.

Ennis got out of the truck, slipping the keys into his pocket as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed inside the school. He nodded a greeting at the janitor before he made his way to Jack's class. The door was open, but he still knocked.

Jack looked up from what he was doing at the desk then looked at the time after noticing Ennis. "You're early," he said. "That eager to get started today, huh?" He smiled then waved Ennis inside. "Close that door behind ya."

Ennis walked in, closing the door behind him as he was told. He dropped his backpack onto one of the desks. "I brought my dad into town for some errands," he said. "He wanted to get started on that early. Is it okay that I'm early?"

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Jack assured him. "I've already got started on gradin' some papers anyhow." He separated a stack for Ennis. "I'm gradin' for the math class down the hall. Mrs. Totters had a birthday party for her granddaughter to get to today, so I offered to take this load off of her."

"Mighty kind o' ya to do that," Ennis said, taking the stack from Jack before sitting down at one of the desks. "I was wonderin' what we'd be gradin' since this class don't count toward our final grade."

Jack gave a small chuckle. "That might change in a couple weeks," he said. "The principal's thinkin' 'bout cuttin' out one of the other classes, which would mean I'd hafta start givin' out tests that'll affect your final grade."

"If that happens, then people can't start droppin' outta this class."

Jack nodded. "It'll be the first time I'd have to do something like that," he said. "But it's outta my hands. I'd rather it not affect your final grade 'cause I'm pretty sure some parents wouldn't want to see 'Sex Ed' on their child's report card."

"Especially 'round here."

"Yeah, I've already gotten quite a few complaints from parents," Jack said. "Some kids were caught havin' dirty magazines. I told them I didn't give those out, but they don't seem to believe me. I've already lost quite a few students and I haven't even been here an entire week yet."

"Well, if it turns out that students can't graduate without takin' your class, you might get those students back," Ennis said. "Though, parents might try and shut ya down if that happens."

"I've fought back against those types of parents before," Jack said. "I've only ever lost once and that was against my own folks." He went on before Ennis could think of any questions to ask. "Me and my parents haven't seen eye to eye ever since I got into high school. As soon as I graduated, I was outta there. It's hard livin' under a roof with people who think you're goin' to Hell just by the opinions ya have."

"What kinda opinions did ya have?"

"That love is love, no matter who it's between," Jack said, looking up from grading papers to look at Ennis. "Ya can't judge a person by their beliefs. If two people of the same gender are happier together, what's the harm in that?" That kind of talk was considered blasphemy around town. Jack was obviously not worried about it being heard since Ennis wouldn't tell anyone. If it was behind closed doors, people could talk about whatever they wanted. Spoken publicly was when you worried about it.

"There's harm in it around here," Ennis said then found himself telling Jack about the two ranchers that had gotten run out of town for being homosexuals. "If ya start teachin' that that's okay, then you can be sure your class'll be shut down before too long."

"You think treatin' people like that's okay?" Jack asked, studying Ennis closely. "I know you were probably raised that way, but you're entitled to your own opinion here. To be your own man. Does two men together bother you?"

Ennis thought carefully about Jack's question. He wasn't sure if it bothered him or not after being raised to believe that two men or two women together was the worst sin in the world. That even being friendly toward those kinds of people could send you to Hell. The pastor at church preached heavily against them from time to time, whenever some news about the homosexuals came out. "As long as they keep it between themselves," he replied after a few minutes of silence.

"And what about a man and woman showing affection toward each other in public?" Jack asked. "Is it okay for them to do that, but not two men? Two women?"

"Personally, I'd feel uncomfortable either way," Ennis said, though the only time he had been exposed to any type of "affection" was when he had been alone with Alma the other evening. His parents didn't even publicly make a show of their affection for each other even in the privacy of their own home.

"You haven't had that much experience with that sorta stuff, huh?" Jack asked, but needed no answer if he had read Ennis's paper from the other day. "I'm glad you're takin' this class, Ennis. I can teach ya a lot."

"And I'm interested in learnin'." Ennis's response seemed to please Jack. "My momma's been against it since you came into town, though."

"And your dad?"

"He says I need it," Ennis said. "He says it's normal for a boy my age to get into this sort of thing. Sex and all." He shifted in his seat a bit, uncomfortable only by the memory of the talk his dad had given him this morning on the drive over. "He pretty much told me this mornin' that as long as it's kept private, I can have sex with Alma before marriage."

"As long as it's kept private," Jack echoed. "Implyin' that Alma wouldn't say anything?"

"It wouldn't be her place to if I established my dominance."

"And your dad thinks that's okay?"

"In a way, I still respect Alma," Ennis said. "I wouldn't want to put her through anything like that. If I was even interested in doin' anything like that, I'd do the gentleman thing and wait til after marriage. But it doesn't seem like she wants to wait."

"You can tell her no."

Ennis looked down at the papers on the desk in front of him, saying nothing. He heard Jack get up and when he looked up, Jack was pulling a seat close to the desk Ennis was sitting at. When Jack sat down, he was right beside Ennis, but facing him.

"If you stand up for yourself, you wouldn't have to worry about bein' pulled into something you don't want," Jack said. "That's part of what I wanna teach. Standin' up for what you believe in is hard, yeah, but sometimes it's worth it, in the end. You might lose support from people you care about, but sometimes that's the price ya gotta pay to be the person you wanna be."

"What if I don't wanna pay that price?" Ennis asked. He hardly ever stood up for anything. He was the kind of guy that stayed quiet and went along with whatever anybody did. He was just facing problems with that now because it was part of growing up and becoming an adult.

"Then you're stuck."

Ennis looked away from Jack, wanting the subject to end. Jack obviously got the picture. Jack had given him a lot to think about. Things he didn't necessarily have to deal with right away. He still had another year to go before he graduated and became a full adult. Time did fly by, but he had plenty of time to decide what he wanted to do once he graduated.

Jack went back to his desk and they went about grading papers in silence for the next hour or so. When they were finished, Jack filed away the papers to be taken to Mrs. Totters class on Monday.

"What would be something you'd like to learn about in class next week?" Jack asked, once more sitting on the seat next to Ennis. "I know you don't know much, but there might still be something you'd like to know."

"What about just the right way to handle the opposite sex?" Ennis asked. He was pretty much just asking for pointers to deal with Alma, but it might come in handy with other students.

"I can get something together for that," Jack said with a nod. "I also wanna focus on dealing with desires if someone has never been in a relationship. Like first dates, first kiss..." He trailed off, noticing Ennis's uncomfortable yet subtle squirm in his seat. "You've never been kissed?"

"That surprise you?"

Jack smiled. "Not really, just goin' by the papers you've handed in," he said. "You're not interested in what a kiss feels like?"

"Why would I be?" Ennis asked, growing a bit more uncomfortable by the way Jack leaned in toward him. But curiosity kept Ennis from moving away from him.

"Because you were interested when Alma mentioned that she touched herself," Jack said. "Or was that not actually the reason you hid away in your bathroom to masturbate for the first time?" Ennis almost regretted writing that down for him to read. "I can show you what it's like. Only if ya want to."

Jack was leaning in close now. If Ennis turned, he would have rubbed up against him. "H-How would you show me?" he asked.

Jack didn't say anything, he just leaned in and pressed his lips lightly against Ennis's before pulling away. "It's okay to be nervous," he said, his voice quiet. "But no one has to know. It'll be just between us."

Ennis hesitated a moment. "All right," he said then Jack kissed him again.


	7. Chapter 7

Kissing Jack was like nothing Ennis had ever experienced before. When he was younger, he had kissed his mama goodnight, but that was nothing compared to what was happening here. Feeling Jack's lips moving against his own...it was hard to describe, but it somehow felt freeing. There was a small feeling of recklessness behind it all. The excitement behind the rebellious act kept Ennis from pulling away at first. But then his mind got the better of him and he was suddenly afraid that someone was going to walk in and catch them in this sinful act.

Ennis broke the kiss, now uncomfortable with how close Jack was leaning in. He could feel Jack's body heat radiating off of him and Ennis's heart suddenly started pounding. "I think it'd be best if I went home," he mumbled, but the look on Jack's face said he understood.

"We got quite a bit o' work done," Jack said, not sounding upset about Ennis wanting to go home early. It wasn't even noon yet. "You sure ya don't wanna stick around and just talk? I can teach ya a lot of things that won't be in any lesson during school." Those words spoke to Ennis in a way he wanted to ignore right now. The lessons ingrained in him by his parents made him sickened by the thought of what had just happened.

Two men weren't supposed to kiss. It wasn't natural.

Ennis lurched to his feet, hearing Jack call his name, but he ignored it as he stumbled out of the classroom. He hurried down the hall to the restroom, banging open a stall before he dropped to his knees and threw up into the toilet. He spent the next few minutes there, emptying his stomach.

Once he was finished and washed up, he stood there at the sink, knowing a sickness hadn't caused him to throw up. It was fear and anxiety. Not from what he had done, but the thought that someone would find out about it. He splashed cold water on his face, hearing the door squeal open, but he didn't turn to see who it was. He knew who it would be. He grabbed a couple paper towels and dried his face.

"I'm not gonna make you do anything ya don't wanna do," Jack said. Ennis threw away the paper towels, but didn't yet turn to face Jack. "But I'm not gonna lie and tell you I don't wanna spend more time with you." His openness about it was just as dangerous as the act itself.

"I ain't a queer," Ennis murmured. But, what else was he? He had thought long and hard about this once before and he had put down in that first paper that he wasn't attracted to any girls or boys at the school. So what did that make him? A freak? "My dad... he'd kill me if I was."

"It ain't right," Jack said, sounding like he was about to go off on another rant about how people treated people who were different than everybody else. "You're afraid of your dad that much?"

"I'm already a disappointment to 'im," Ennis said, not wanting to talk about what happened with his brother. He finally turned and looked at Jack. "If anybody found out what happened just now -"

"No one's gonna," Jack said in a reassuring manner. He sounded like he believed his own words. "It's just the two of us and will only be the two of us." Did he expect Ennis to agree to let this continue?

And why not? Though Ennis was still afraid, he couldn't help but remember that freeing feeling he had while kissing Jack. It was like he could finally be who he really was without anyone judging him for it. Even though he wasn't sure if he was a queer, a homosexual, or not, he found himself wanting to pursue that feeling. Jack wouldn't judge him. And, as he had just said, Jack wasn't going to make Ennis do anything he didn't want to.

"Ennis?"

"Can I help ya out on Saturdays more often?" Ennis asked, not knowing how else to say what he wanted to. "Maybe not as early since I still got chores to do at home, but maybe during the afternoons?"

Jack gave a small smile and a nod. "I can work that out," he said. "It'll look good on your record." They both knew Ennis wouldn't be helping out on Saturdays to get a good grade on his school record, but that somehow just made it more exciting.

Ennis wasn't the rebellious type, so all of this was new to him in so many different ways. "I ain't the fastest learner," he said. There had been several times he had had to skip school to help his dad out so he was probably behind in several areas. "But I'm willing to learn."

"That's better than a lot of students I've had in the past," Jack said. Ennis couldn't help but wonder if Jack had ever been involved with a student like he was with Ennis. Jack must have read it on Ennis's face because he gave an answer for it, "I've never had any personal classes with any student before now. It'll be a new experience for me, too. But not the first time I've...been involved with someone."

Ennis didn't want him to elaborate on that. "What else can you teach me today?" he asked.

"I think you've got enough for today," Jack said. "Why don't we find some more papers to grade?" He started for the door.

"Alma's comin' over for supper tonight," Ennis said. Jack stopped and turned back. "She might not try anythin', but I really don't wanna take that chance. What if she gets me alone again?"

"You can say no to her advances."

"And if I can't?"

"Ya gotta ask yourself if you _want_ to say no to her advances," Jack said. "You said your dad wants ya to establish your dominance with her. Tellin' her no is the best place to start that."

"You want me to -"

"Dominance can be taken in a non-sexual way," Jack said. "You show her who's boss and she might back off."

"Might?" Ennis didn't like the sound of that.

"There's a possibility that she might think you showing your dominance is a go ahead for her," Jack said. "To let her do what she wants because you want it."

"I can't do that."

"Then make sure you don't end up alone with her," Jack said then turned and left the restroom. Ennis hesitated a moment then followed after him.

* * *

They found some extra work to do, detailing out next week's lessons. Jack had pictures to go along with some of the lessons. They finished up right around two o'clock in the afternoon. Ennis gathered his things to leave, pausing for a few minutes while Jack got a pass for Ennis to use for Saturday afternoons that would go on his school record. He slipped the paper into his backpack then left.

Walking out into the parking lot, Ennis saw his dad sitting in the driver's seat of the truck. When his dad saw him, he just waved for Ennis to get in the passenger side. Ennis walked around the truck and climbed in, his backpack on the floor between his legs. His dad started the truck and pulled out of the school parking lot.

"I saw Mr. Beers at the bank this mornin'," his dad said, turning off on the road that would lead straight home. "He mentioned that Alma was pretty down 'bout you not goin' horseback ridin' with her."

"I had stuff to do," Ennis said, staring straight ahead.

"I get that," his dad said. "But I better hear ya apologize to her when she comes over tonight, awright?" He reached over and patted Ennis on the arm a few times. "Promise me, boy."

"Yes, sir," Ennis said with a nod. "I promise."

"He also mentioned somethin' else to me," his dad went on. "About Starbright." He didn't wait for Ennis to say anything. "That he might hafta take that horse back if you and Alma don't get friendly with each other pretty soon."

 _Then let him take back the damn horse,_ Ennis thought, but kept that to himself. "What's he mean by friendly?" he asked, though he was pretty sure Mr. Beers hadn't meant _sexually_ friendly. Hopefully.

"Spend more time with her," his dad said. "Like if she wants to go horseback ridin' with ya, don't wait til the last minute to tell her you've got other plans. It wasn't a nice thing ya did, Ennis. Make time for her. Good start: sit by her at church tomorrow."

The last place Ennis wanted to be tomorrow was at church. "All right," he said, just giving in and not starting up any argument. He wouldn't win anyway. What his daddy said, he had to obey no matter what. As long as he was living under their roof, at least. And according to his dad's plans, Ennis wouldn't be moving out of his parents home anytime soon. He wouldn't be surprised if his dad expected Ennis and Alma to get married and live on the farm.

Ennis looked out the window, thinking about Jack, who would only be here for the next couple of months. Then what would happen? How would Ennis be able to make it through anything without having Jack nearby to talk to? He pushed that thought out of his mind. A lot could happen in the next couple of months.

A lot of bad could happen as well.

* * *

Supper with his parents and Alma was pure torture.

Ennis finally managed to excuse himself and step outside onto the porch. The conversation had started out fine. Ennis had apologized and Alma had forgiven him instantly. Then they had all sat around the table and started talking about Ennis and Alma's future together. It all became too much for Ennis really fast. He had excused himself and they were still inside talking.

They were controlling his future and he would do nothing about it. He wanted to do something about it. He wanted to march back in there and tell them all that he was moving away from this goddamned town as soon as he graduated high school. They couldn't control his life if he wasn't living here anymore. But how could he do that? They needed him here to help around the farm. It was his responsibility, now that KE was gone.

Ennis walked out to the barn and entered Starbright's stall, grabbing a brush. He emptied his mind of all thoughts and worries and just focused on brushing the horse. The horse they may or may not have for much longer if Alma's dad thought that Ennis wasn't being friendly enough with Alma.

Tossing the brush away, Ennis sat down in the pile of hay in the corner of the stall. Starbright swung his tail and looked at him, huffing at him before bending his head down to eat some hay.

"Must be frustratin' to be a horse," Ennis said. "Always havin' to go where you're sent. Do what you're told. I guess we're not that different, huh? Hell, even you can't choose who ya wanna be 'friendly' with."

"Ennis? Ya out here?"

Ennis forced himself to remain quiet, but how long could he stay hidden if Alma walked further into the barn? He shook his head and stood up, stepping out of the stall. Alma walked over to him.

"You okay?" Alma asked. "You sick?"

"I'm fine," Ennis said, throwing some more hay into the stalls for the horses. If he didn't have something to do, Alma might do anything she wanted and he couldn't have a repeat of last time.

"How'd the day go with Mr. Twist?" Alma asked. "What all did ya have to help with?"

"Gradin' papers and gettin' lessons ready for next week," Ennis said. He dusted himself off then set about refilling the water troughs.

"So you know what he's gonna be teachin'?" Alma asked. Ennis nodded his head in response. "Can I get a sneak peak?"

Ennis moved to the next stall and Alma followed right behind. "Just wait until Monday," he said. "Ain't that long a wait."

"But I might like hearin' it from you more than Mr. Twist."

"He teaches it better."

"I'd rather hear it from someone less experienced," Alma said then stepped closer to him. "You're not too experienced, are ya, Ennis?" It sounded like she wanted to hear him say that he was experienced.

He didn't want to answer the question. "What're you doin' out here, Alma?" he asked. "I thought you were inside, talkin' -"

"What's the point of talkin' 'bout our future if you ain't there talkin' too?" Alma said. "I told them I was gonna talk to you about it. They said we could take our time." She hooked her finger through his belt loop. "We've got a lot of talkin' to do." She pulled herself even closer to him.

He took her hand and made her let go then backed away from her. "That ain't the right way to act, Alma," he said. "We can't be doin' -"

"You didn't seem to mind last time."

"Well, I minded," Ennis said, the image of Alma taking his hand and guiding it between her legs came back to him. "Just because we're takin' a sex ed class don't mean we can do whatever the hell we want with each other."

"But I don't wanna wait," Alma said. She pushed him, taking him by surprise, so Ennis fell backwards onto a bale of hay by one of the stalls. Before he could get up, Alma hiked up her skirt and climbed onto him. He could feel her heat through his jeans and the way she was grinding against him, he knew she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"Alma, stop," Ennis said, pushing her off of him, but he made sure she stayed on her feet. He got up off the hay bale. "I'm not gonna do anything like that with you right now."

Alma frowned, looking down. "You didn't get hard," she said and he realized she was looking at his crotch. She looked up at him. "Aren't you attracted to me?"

"I'm not interested in that sorta thing," Ennis said. He couldn't tell her that he wasn't attracted because that would be rude and might come off to her as not being attractive to anyone. "Right now, I just wanna be friends."

"You mean that?" Alma asked. Ennis nodded. "All right." He hoped that she would back off now, but he really didn't expect her to. She was obviously lonely and in love with Ennis, so she was desperate. He would have to be careful around her.

Really careful.


	8. Chapter 8

Ennis couldn't sleep that night. His thoughts were just a jumble of everything that had happened, at the school with Jack and in the barn with Alma. What happened with Alma was what his dad expected to happen and had pretty much given his blessing for it to happen. The fact that he couldn't go to his parents about it made him feel alone. But he could talk to Jack. At least until Jack packed up and left once they all passed the class. Jack would be gone and then who would Ennis have to talk to about things he couldn't bring up with his parents?

Catching a few winks of sleep, Ennis woke up early and before everyone else. He quietly headed out of his room and down the hall to the bathroom, stripping down and jumping into the shower. Once he was finished showering, he got dressed then headed downstairs and out the door. He thought about getting some chores done, but he instead headed for the barn. He saddled up Starbright then took him out for a ride.

He just wanted to clear his mind, so he rode until he couldn't see the house anymore. The sun wasn't up yet, so the air was chilly, but it helped clear his mind. He slowed the horse to a walk then just enjoyed the silence of nature as the time passed. He knew the area, so there was no worries of getting lost. He could ride for miles and miles. And out here, he didn't have to worry about anyone else.

He would be in deep shit once he got back home, but that would be dealt with when the time came. He just didn't have the mindset to sit in church for a couple of hours, sitting next to Alma. She would probably be pissed about him not being there as well, but at least she forgave him quickly with the right excuse. His daddy on the other hand... there would be no forgiveness there. Ennis would end up with extra work this week and miss out on school for a few days. His mom wouldn't allow his dad to ground Ennis, so no worries there.

Ennis rode out to a small river, hopping off the horse to sit under a tree. Starbright stood idly by, nibbling on the grass. Ennis sat back against the tree as the sun came up. Breathing in the fresh morning air, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

He woke up to the sound of a truck approaching. Starbright was startled, but didn't wander off too far. Ennis got up to grab the lead just as his dad was getting out of the truck and storming over to Ennis. His mom waited in the passenger's seat. His parents were both wearing their Sunday best, so either they were on the way to town or just coming back. Judging by the position of the sun, straight above, they were coming home from church. Ennis had slept the morning away.

Jake didn't waste time with talking. He just backhanded Ennis across the face then hit him again when Ennis didn't cower before him. Ennis gritted his teeth and stepped back, but said nothing. His dad pointed a finger in his face. "You better have a fuckin' good explanation for runnin' away like ya did, you little sack o' shit," he said. "Your mother's been worried sick all mornin'! We almost missed services because of your stupid ass!"

"You still went," Ennis said which earned him another slap across the face.

"You get your ass on that horse and go straight home," his dad said. "I'll deal with you back at the house." He turned and marched back over to the truck. He looked back at Ennis. "Straight home!" He got into the truck and drove off.

Face stinging, Ennis climbed up onto Starbright, watching as the truck moved off out of sight. He turned the horse toward home, but then stopped and rode off in the other direction, toward town. He knew he was just making the matter worse by running off, but he couldn't go home right now. He couldn't go home with a good enough excuse about why he had skipped out all morning. He couldn't tell them about Alma and he sure as hell couldn't tell them everything about Jack. He just had to hope his mom would calm his dad down enough by the time Ennis felt ready to go home

* * *

Ennis didn't know where Jack was staying while he was in town, but he ran into the janitor in the school parking lot, who knew. Jack was staying at the hotel right outside of town. He thanked the janitor then left in that direction. When he made it to the hotel, he got off the horse and tied the lead to a fence post then headed inside. He started for the front desk to ask for Jack's room but then stopped when he heard Jack's voice. He turned to see Jack in the other room watching some western on TV.

"Everything okay?" Jack asked, excusing himself from the guys he was watching TV with then walked over to Ennis. "What're you doin' here?" As he got closer, his expression became worried. Ennis's face was obviously bruised. Jack gestured for Ennis to follow and they headed to Jack's room one floor up.

When they were in the room, Jack told Ennis to sit down then got some ice to put against the bruise. Ennis winced at the icy touch, but it lessened the sting. He held it there as Jack brought a chair over to sit down in front of him.

"What happened?" Jack asked and Ennis told him about the morning he just had. Jack looked angry about what Ennis's dad had done. Ennis just wanted it kept quiet since his dad would deny ever hitting him. "I can't just stand by and let this happen, Ennis."

"He doesn't know any other way to deal with things," Ennis said. "Not since my brother died." It was the first time he had brought up the subject with anyone. His parents wouldn't even talk about it.

"What happened with your brother?"

"It was a little over a year ago now," Ennis said, thinking back to that storm that had blown in. "My dad and brother were out in the barn, securing everything for the comin' storm that would wash out all of our crops and take down half our barn... We were gonna have the barn fixed up the next week. The wind and rain did a number on it. A beam fell and crushed KE against the wall and the ground. If he wasn't killed by the beam, he drowned by the water floodin' in." Jack looked horrified by the story. Ennis had eventually become numb to it since it hadn't been much longer after that when his dad was a little more rough with him.

"He expects me to pick up where KE left off," Ennis went on. "I wasn't able to. Still not. I'm not my brother, but he can't see that. If I can't be who he wants me to be, I'm not worth it."

"Parents shouldn't make their kids think like that," Jack said. "And you shouldn't hafta let it happen."

"I gotta be a good boy."

"So you run away from home?"

"I can't tell 'em why I skipped out this mornin'," Ennis said. "They wouldn't understand."

"Maybe I can help," Jack said. He could probably guess that that was the reason why Ennis had come all the way out here. "Why'd you skip out this mornin'? Did something happen last night? With Alma?"

"She came onto me again," Ennis said. "I told her I wasn't interested in that right now." He lowered his hand when Jack took the pack of ice off to inspect Ennis's face. "She was okay with my reasoning. I was supposed to sit with her today at church, so she's probably no longer okay with it." He closed his eyes as Jack rubbed a finger across his face. The area was sore, but Jack's touch was soothing. "Her dad said he might take the horse back if I don't get friendly with Alma. After today... I don't expect to keep the horse. Even if he was a gift."

Ennis opened his eyes and jerked back in surprise when he felt Jack's lips against his cheek. Jack mumbled "it's okay," then proceeded to kiss where Ennis was bruised the most. Ennis closed his eyes once again, feeling his heart start to pound. He wasn't surprised when Jack's kisses moved to his lips and Ennis found himself kissing him back. He heard the ice pack drop to the floor as Jack leaned further off the chair and toward Ennis. But then Jack pulled away.

"We're in a safe place, Ennis," Jack whispered. He took Ennis's hands and placed them on his shoulders. "First lesson: explore where ya want to. Nothing you do is the wrong answer."

Ennis couldn't keep contact as he forced himself past his hesitation and moved his hands, feeling down the firm muscles of Jack's arms. Jack didn't guide his hand, letting Ennis establish what would be the most comfortable for him. Ennis was too afraid to touch anywhere else, but his hands practically had a mind of their own. His hands moved back up to Jack's shoulders then down along his chest. He said nothing and just watched as Jack unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it open, exposing his chest.

Ennis's fingers brushed against bare skin, a tad mesmerized by the softness of his skin and the firmness. He could feel Jack's heart pounding just as hard as his own. Ennis felt something in the pit of his stomach and then lower. His mouth was suddenly dry and he could feel himself becoming nauseous again, but something else was overcoming that feeling.

"Ennis," Jack murmured and Ennis's lips crashed against his in a heated kiss. Jack shrugged off his shirt as he got onto the bed, pulling Ennis down on top of him as he laid down. All they did was kiss for a few minutes then Jack took Ennis's hand and guided it down to the front of his jeans.

Ennis broke the kiss and sat up, scooting back until he was straddling Jack's knees. He unfastened Jack's jeans and Jack helped with getting them down a bit. Ennis was frozen at the sight of Jack's cock now right in front of him, pointing straight up. Ennis didn't know what to do, but when he wrapped his hand around Jack's shaft, it seemed like the right thing to do. Jack reached down and guided Ennis's hand to move the right way, stroking up and down. Ennis thought back to the one other time he had done something like this, except it had been to himself in front of the bathroom mirror. It was strange how doing it to someone else would give him the same feeling he had when he had jerked himself off.

"That feels good, Ennis," Jack said, letting Ennis take over. "Mmmm, so good, keep doin' it..." His words slowly turned into moans. Ennis felt a bit awkward sitting like that, stroking Jack but it was slowly turning into something he was enjoying. He shifted uncomfortably as his own jeans grew tighter around his own hardening member.

Jack picked up on that. Ennis's hand left Jack's cock as Jack rolled them over. Without a word, Jack moved down on him, relieving Ennis by pulling his jeans down to his knees. Jack freed himself of the rest of his clothes so he was now naked as he climbed on top of Ennis, their cocks brushing against each other.

"Just relax," Jack said, grabbing his cock and Ennis's in one hand, stroking them both at the same time. Ennis gripped the sheets beneath him tightly, a deep groan escaping him after a few minutes.

"Fuck," Ennis moaned as he came, feeling Jack finish as well. Ennis covered his face with his hands, embarrassed about what had just happened. He couldn't ignore the feeling of Jack's semen running down over his balls. Jack moved his hips slightly, grinding their cocks together. Ennis had shot a bigger load over Jack, he could feel it.

Then Jack climbed off of him. When Ennis lowered his hands, Jack was walking out of the bathroom with a wet rag. He cleaned Ennis then himself then got dressed. Ennis quickly got up, pulling his jeans back up. As he fastened his belt, he looked at Jack.

"You don't have to go home," Jack said. It was obvious that he had wanted to do so much more just then, but he had held off because he hadn't wanted to push Ennis too far. "If things are that bad at home -"

"It's fine," Ennis said. "But thanks." Jack nodded then just watched as Ennis left.


	9. Chapter 9

Ennis walked out of the hotel, his mind clouded with everything that had happened this week. The confusion with Alma...and Jack. What had just happened in Jack's room stayed in his head as he untied Starbright and mounted him. He steered the horse in the direction of home, not knowing what he might face, but that was the last thing on his mind right now. The image of him and Jack on the bed together was at the forefront of his thoughts. He hadn't understood completely why it had happened. It was just something he had wanted to do, in that heated moment.

He had gone to Jack for help. Instead, Jack had manipulated him into a position where the teacher could put his lessons to good use. But Ennis hadn't exactly jumped at the chance to stop it from happening. Instead, he had done as he was told and now felt like everyone knew just by looking at him. He had been in bed with a man. Inappropriately. His mixed feelings about it was the reason why he wanted to leave the hotel.

Despite how much he didn't want to, Ennis returned home. He didn't see anyone outside as he headed straight for the barn. Once Starbright was back in his stall, Ennis was tempted to hide and hope passing time would soften his dad's anger. Knowing Jacob Del Mar, that wasn't happening. Hopefully his mom had talked to him, but Ennis was still in big trouble.

Ennis turned and walked out of the barn, stopping halfway to the house when he saw his dad standing on the porch, arms crossed. He still looked pissed, but not as mad as he had been earlier. Mom had obviously talked to him and defended Ennis as much as she could. Probably not enough to make this easier. Ennis licked his dry lips, his palms sweaty, then headed for the porch, stopping once more when his dad came down the steps toward him.

"Got somethin' to say for yourself, boy?" his dad asked. More like demanded. "And I don't want no excuse about you forgettin' what day it is. Your mama ain't happy that I gotta discipline you on our Lord's day, but somethin's gotta change." They stood that way for a moment, silent. Ennis knew better than to say anything yet. "Why'd you run off this mornin'?"

Ennis decided to go with the truth. To a certain extent. "I was scared," he said. "Uh, nervous 'bout sittin' in church with Alma." Should he tell his dad about the times Alma had come onto him? He wanted to, but no one would believe it. They'd say Alma wasn't capable of doing anything like that. She was too sweet. If only there was a way to get her to show her true colors to more than just him. "I wasn't plannin' on stayin' out all morning. But I fell asleep."

"You fell asleep," his dad said. He stepped forward and backhanded Ennis across the face. Ennis's face stung, but he gritted his teeth and stood firm. "You better be glad I ain't beatin' the tar outta your ass. If it was any day but Sunday..." He trailed off and shook his head. "I should do it anyway, but your mama would be upset. You're skippin' school this week. Stayin' home and doin' chores."

It wasn't the worst punishment he had suffered, but it was still unlikable. Ennis was still grateful it hadn't been anything else. He was lucky to have done this on a Sunday and that his mom had talked to his dad. "Yes, sir," Ennis mumbled then followed his dad back inside.

* * *

The next few days, Ennis was kept busy. He was glad to be away from school because he wouldn't have to face Alma again anytime soon. But he would be missing Jack's class. It was a good thing he already knew the basics of what Jack would be teaching this week, so he wouldn't really miss anything. And Jack would fill him in on anything he missed when he'd go on Saturday for his teacher assistant job. Surely his dad would let him go to that since Ennis would be skipping the rest of his classes and he would need something to keep his record good enough to graduate.

But as the days went by and Saturday got closer and closer, Ennis's thoughts went back to that moment in Jack's hotel room. At night he often laid awake because whenever he closed his eyes, he could picture Jack leaning over him, busily stroking their cocks together. Ennis would then wake up the next morning, his cock forming a tent at the front of his shorts. He had ducked into the bathroom so many times every morning that he was starting to think someone was catching on to what he was doing, but his parents didn't say anything.

Then Saturday arrived.

His dad had forgiven him for running out Sunday morning, so Ennis was free to go to the school for the teacher assistant job.

Ennis crawled out of bed early, palming himself as he stepped into the bathroom. He stripped down and took a cold shower, but it didn't help so Ennis ended up jerking off in the shower, holding back a groan as he finished. Showered, Ennis dried off and dressed then headed downstairs. His parents were eating breakfast in the kitchen. Ennis walked over to the table and sat down without a word.

"Don't forget to pick up some groceries on your way home," his dad said, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading. "I'd go this mornin', but I'm not really in the mood to wait for you again. Plus, the Beers wanna talk to me." Finally he looked over at Ennis. "About Starbright."

"They gonna take him back?" Ennis had grown fond of the horse, even though they hadn't owned him for that long. If the Beers' were actually going to take it back, what could he do about it?

His dad folded the newspaper and set it aside. "They're comin' over for dinner tonight," he said. "They'll probably wanna talk to me about getting you and Alma to go out together. You give them a good impression at supper, they'll let us keep Starbright."

Taking back a horse just because Ennis had so far refused to go out with Alma was a bit childish, but they needed that horse for the upcoming season. Starbright was a working horse. If they took Starbright back, that would mean extra work for Ennis. He didn't like the idea, but he would have to start courting Alma or else his summer would be hell.

His mom gave Ennis a full plate of breakfast. Her eyes met his for a moment and he knew what she was asking. He looked down at his plate. "I'll do my best," he murmured, which was the best he could do.

Thankfully, his words were satisfying enough for his dad because he dropped the subject and the rest of breakfast was spent in silence. Comfortable silence, at least.

After breakfast, Ennis gave his mom a kiss then headed out the door, noticing his dad heading out into the fields to start working. Ennis climbed into the truck and started off the property. He arrived at the school a few minutes before his scheduled time with Jack.

His boots echoed down the empty hall, lost in his own thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to see Jack again after nearly a full week. Especially with the memory of what had happened the last time he had seen Jack. Would Jack even want to hear about the struggles Ennis had had over those few minutes in Jack's hotel room? How he had woken up, cock aching every morning? Surely it was part of the learning experience, but Ennis suddenly felt nervous about sharing those intimate details.

He stopped at Jack's classroom, pausing before going inside. He heard Jack talking to someone, though he couldn't make out what was being said. He peered in through the window on the door and saw Jack talking to a boy Ennis's age. Ennis recognized him from the class, but recall his name. Ennis stepped back away from the door, not wanting to be rude. He couldn't just walk right in, so he decided to wait. The wait wasn't too long. A few minutes later, the student stepped out, glanced at Ennis once, then headed off down the hall toward the exit. Ennis watched him go for a moment then stepped inside the classroom.

Jack appeared happy to see him, but it was clear he was checking for anymore bruises on Ennis's face. Ennis remembered the anger he had seen on Jack's face when Ennis told him what happened last week and a deep part of him was starting to wish Jack had done something to his dad, but then immediately regretted that thought and pushed it far away. His dad was only doing what he thought was right. Ennis couldn't hate him for that.

"Good to see ya back, Ennis," Jack said, a smile on his face as he sat on the edge of his desk, facing Ennis. "Have a good week? Close the door."

Ennis closed the door behind him. "Better than I expected," he replied, not wanting to get too far into whatever troubles he may have at home. He gestured behind him. "Who was -"

"That was Randy," Jack said. "He stopped by, trying to get a sneak peek of next week's lessons. I told him he could wait just like everyone else." He gave a small smirk. "Except for you, of course. You've actually got a bit of catching up to do. You'll be doin' a bit of homework this mornin'. Extra curricular I gave the class a couple o' times."

"More papers?"

Jack nodded his head as he stood up, walking around the desk to sit down in his chair. "You can get 'em done here or do it over the weekend," he said. "I'd prefer you do it today since I'll be lookin' over the rest of the papers this mornin'."

Ennis walked over to a desk and sat down. "I'll do my best," he said, pulling a notebook out of his backpack. "What sorta topic were they?"

"The first one was just a recap of what you've learned so far," Jack said, a look in his eyes saying that Ennis knew he had learned so much more than the other students in the class. "You could probably just copy your notes and the notes we made together last week. Shouldn't be too difficult. The next one was about being honest with yourself. Admitting to certain feelings and talkin' yourself through it, so to speak. That it ain't wrong to have certain feelings." Ennis was starting to get the feeling that there wasn't a topic about that at all.

Ennis stared at his notebook for the longest time then sat back and looked up at Jack. "It's wrong for me to have certain feelings," Ennis said, surprised by the sudden boldness he felt. But he was comfortable enough around Jack to be brave enough to speak his thoughts. "The rest of this town'll tell ya the same thing."

"I'm not worried about the town," Jack said. "This is just about you. Why do you think it's wrong for you to have certain feelings? Is it because of your parents? You're old enough to have your own opinions."

"You don't understand this town like I do."

"And I don't really want to."

Ennis fell silent. Jack didn't pressure him into saying anything so it was a few minutes before he spoke again. "What happened ain't normal. We weren't made -"

"I was made to love whoever I want," Jack said. "Not sayin' that's what's happenin' here, but it's an example. We were made to do whatever the hell we want. To feel what we wanna feel."

"I don't want to feel this!"

"Because these people ingrained that into ya," Jack said. He stood and walked over to stand in front of Ennis's desk. "You don't find anything wrong with what your parents taught ya?"

"Why would I?"

"Because you keep comin' back here," Jack said. "To me."

Ennis looked away. "It's wrong," he said, but the more he said it, the more he started to believe something else. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ignore what he felt. He also couldn't ignore the fact that he enjoyed those feelings. It made him feel a part of something that was more than this godforsaken town. "This class has just messed everything up."

Jack tapped on the notebook in front of Ennis. "Just think about it," he said. "I want the paper done by lunch." He checked the time then looked back at Ennis. "You better get started." He turned and walked back to the front of the room.

Ennis stared down at the notebook, his pencil hovering over the page. He stayed like that for a moment then dropped the pencil and looked at Jack. "At your hotel," he said, getting Jack's attention. "Did you do it to help me or just because you wanted to?" He had gone to Jack last week for a reason, but couldn't remember getting his problem resolved then because Jack had moved the conversation in a different direction.

"You were dealin' with a lot," Jack said. "I wanted to help you, but I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't want it. It wasn't rape, if that's what you're gettin' at."

"By trying to help, you've just made me more confused," Ennis said. "I see people lookin' at me funny like they know."

"That's just in your head."

"What if they do know?"

"If they did, do ya really think I'd still be here?" Jack asked. "I'd be run outta town or in jail somewhere. You're a minor, after all. It don't matter if you're almost eighteen. Or if it was with your consent."

The fact that he was still a minor was the last thing on Ennis's mind about this. "If people 'round here knew, it'd be worse than that," he said. His thoughts went back to his old neighbors Earl and Rich, wondering now if they had actually just been run out of town like his dad had told him. Knowing what his dad thought about homosexuality, it would explain why no one had seen Earl and Rich leave. Folks who had the same ideals as his dad would put a stop to those kinds of people and the possibility of that being true scared Ennis. "I can't risk that."

"You worried about them findin' out 'bout me?" Jack asked. "Or you?"

"It'd be the same outcome."

"I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"It'd just be best if we stopped."

Jack said nothing and just sat there.


	10. Chapter 10

Jack sat silent for a long moment. To think about what Ennis had proposed? Or to give him time to rethink his decision? Jack could tell that he was scared; he had said as much. And what happened at the hotel was part of the reason why Ennis was so scared right now. Jack had had all week to think about that moment in his hotel room. He wished he had gone about it differently, but he hadn't been able to resist his desires. Was it obvious how much Jack wanted Ennis? And now that Ennis had suggested they stop, his want for the young man grew even more.

"Is that what you really wanna do?" Jack asked, the silence feeling heavy now that he spoke. "Because I don't think it is. You can tell me that I'm just sayin' that because of the way I feel about ya. And you'd be partly right. There's somethin' here, Ennis. And I know you feel it to. I know it's new and scary, but I promise if you'll stick with it, it'll be worth it."

"I can't keep livin' like this," Ennis said. "It's easy for you. No one knows ya in this town. My dad? He expects me to be somebody. If he finds out, he'll kill me."

Jack was starting to get tired of Ennis's father and knew something had to be done sooner rather than later. "No one's gonna find out," he said. "It's nobody's business but ours."

Ennis grabbed up his backpack as he got to his feet, shoving his things into the bag. He slung it over his shoulder. "I know where I'm expected to be," he said. "I can't get there, the longer this goes on. I'll make up an excuse as to why I've gotta drop the class." He turned and left the room without another word and without waiting for a response from Jack.

Jack got to his feet and hurried after him, his instincts telling him to just let Ennis go. It was what Ennis wanted. Jack needed to respect his decision, but there was more than just Ennis's feelings on the line here. Jack wasn't going to let himself become miserable just to make sure Ennis got back to the life his dad wanted. The way Ennis was living now was unhealthy. True, there wasn't much of a life with Jack if they had to keep it a secret, but at least Ennis wouldn't have to worry about getting beat whenever he disappointed his father.

"Ennis!" Jack called down the hall, coming to a stop when he saw Ennis stop and turn around. "I'd hate to see ya leave the class. I'm only here a couple of months and I would like to see you. Once I'm gone, you can get back to whatever life you think you need to be living." Speaking like this outside of the classroom wasn't the smartest thing to do, but no one else besides the janitor was here at the school today. And the janitor had probably already gone on home.

Ennis was obviously thinking something similar. The look on his face said he was worried that the janitor was right around the corner. He walked down the hall and stopped in front of Jack. "So it's just a one time thing, right?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Jack hated the possibility of never seeing Ennis again after he was through here, but he nodded. "One time thing," he confirmed. A couple of months wasn't a long time, but he was going to make the best of them. "Can we get back to the room now?"

Ennis didn't say anything and just walked past Jack and back to the classroom.

* * *

Ennis walked into the classroom, wondering why he had even decided to come back. Had it really been that easy for Jack to talk him into staying? Or was it because, deep down, Ennis knew there was something here between them? He couldn't deny the attraction he felt toward Jack. And that alone should have kept him running away from what was happening here. Ennis hadn't really thought he had a rebellious side, but being with Jack brought it out.

And going against what his dad told him to do was really what Ennis wanted.

Jack walked in behind him, closing the door without a word. He walked over to stand in front of his desk, sitting down on the edge, looking at Ennis. "I wanna talk to ya about your daddy," he said after a few minutes more of silence.

Ennis dropped his backpack to the floor by his own desk and sat down. "Ain't nothin' to talk about," he said, not wanting to get Jack mixed up in his problems. If he told Jack everything that went on in his home, he was afraid his dad would know just by looking at him. And Ennis didn't think Jack was the type to keep quiet and do nothing if he knew.

"Ennis, you walked into that hotel bruised up," Jack said. "Is that all he does? Push you around or beat you?"

Ennis knew what he was asking. "There ain't no sexual abuse goin' on," he said, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. "And, yeah he beats me a time or two if he's mad enough, but that's all. If he didn't beat me..." He trailed off and looked away.

"Sexual abuse could explain why you're so afraid of any kinda intimate relationship," Jack said. "But clearly that's just from the ideas these folks drill into ya." He crossed his arms. "What do ya think he'd do if he didn't beat ya?"

Ennis had never even admitted this to himself. He would rather push it to the back of his mind and forget about it. Act like it wasn't a thing because to admit it meant that his dad knew no other way because a man showing any kind of affection was frowned upon. "If he didn't beat me..." he started, looking down at his hands on his desk. He looked up at Jack. "If he didn't beat me, it'd mean he doesn't love me."

Jack didn't say anything for a while. Ennis could feel Jack judging him, but then knew that Jack wasn't like that. "So your daddy loves ya by givin' you bruises and whatnot?" he asked. "If he loved ya, he wouldn't hit ya. That's not how love works."

"It's how my dad works," Ennis said. He didn't really know how to imagine a father loving him with words instead of fists. His mom wasn't even that affectionate. The only time he had ever felt real affection was when he was with Jack. There were also moments with Alma, but all she can think about was sex. "Before KE died, I got nothin' from 'im, so I'd take this over that any day."

"You can't sit there and tell me you want him to hurt you."

"I don't want it," Ennis said. "But if it's all he'll give, I've gotta take it. I need a daddy and he knows what's right for me."

"Ya mean what's right for him."

Ennis shrugged his shoulders. "It's the same thing," he said then regretted saying that. He knew Jack would tell him why it wasn't the same thing and he wasn't really in the mood to hear it. "It ain't gonna change. I'll just have to live with it."

"You shouldn't have to," Jack said. "You should be able to live the life you wanna live. Not the life your folks expect you to live. Do what makes you happy, not them."

Ennis had thought about that a lot. He had dreams of moving away, living the life he wanted to live. But that was all they were: dreams. "They need me here," he said. "The farm is too much work for me to be thinkin' 'bout leaving." He shook his head. "So when me and Alma get married after school, we'll be takin' care of the farm and my folks. The way my daddy did for his parents and so on. I can't change."

It looked like Jack wanted to say more, but he didn't. He obviously didn't want to argue. Ennis hadn't wanted to talk about it in the first place, but saying something did change how he felt about it all. He could picture his life from Jack's perspective and understand Jack's feelings about it. It wasn't the best way to live. And he did wish it was different all the time, but nothing would change.

"Ennis, come here," Jack said after a few minutes of silence. He gestured for Ennis, who stood and walked over. Jack grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug. It was awkward at first, but then Ennis relaxed. He wasn't used to hugs. Especially from other men. Men didn't hug. But as he stood there in Jack's arms, Ennis was starting to realize how much he needed a hug like this. How much he craved a hug from his own father.

A moment later, Ennis found himself clinging to Jack and sobbing. Jack never let him go. It was a small glimpse at what Ennis's life could have been if his dad wasn't so hard on him all the time. Ennis might have been a different person entirely if only he had gotten hugs from his father. But it was too late now. As Ennis had said, it wasn't going to change. He would have to love his father the way he was no matter how many times he didn't want to.

When Ennis had finished crying, he stepped back away from Jack, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Jack placed his hands on Ennis's sides, keeping him from getting too far away from him. Ennis lowered his hand, feeling a bit embarrassed for crying like that. Jack just gave him an understanding look. There was comfort in that look. Ennis was free to be him in Jack's presence. He didn't have to pretend. Ennis wasn't able to admit it out loud, but he felt like Jack was right for him. He was what Ennis needed in this time of his life.

Ennis moved back forward and pressed his lips against Jack's, his body fitting against Jack's. Almost instantly, the kiss grew heated. Ennis clung to Jack in an entirely different way. Jack scooted his ass further back on the desk, wrapping his legs around Ennis to pull him tighter against him. Ennis didn't know what to do with his hands, so he just held on to Jack, letting the older man lead the way. Jack just seemed content with this for the moment.

Then Jack broke the kiss, looking into Ennis's eyes. "Is this something you want?" he asked. "Me and you? I'm not ready to let you go, but if you really don't want this, we can end it here and now. Just don't ask me to not be your friend."

Jack asking meant a lot to Ennis. It was more than what Alma was willing to do. She would rather fuck first then ask questions later. He wasn't even sure she really cared how he felt about her. He was just the only person she knew well enough to try sex with. Of course, Jack had done something similar back at the hotel, but had let Ennis do what he wanted. Even if Ennis decided to end this, he knew he would always rather choose Jack over Alma.

"I wanna explore this more," Ennis said. "There's still a lot of things I don't know and I really wanna learn it from you. Whether it's in class or out." He hoped his cheeks weren't turning too red from embarrassment as he said that. Being open about this even in private was still a bit too much for Ennis, but he was already more relaxed than the first time he was in a room alone with Jack. "But I might have to do something else as well."

"Like what?"

"Date Alma," Ennis said. Jack didn't seem to like that, but he understood what was happening with her and Ennis. "It might not even work out. But it's somethin' I gotta do to help the farm. If I don't, they'll take back the horse we need. So there might be a lot of times I can't get away from plans with her."

"We'll still have Saturdays," Jack said. "She can't take those away from you. Let's just wait and see how things turn out. In the meantime, I've got some things to teach ya." He gave a small grin then pulled Ennis close again and kissed him.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Cliffhanger! lol Sorry it's been so long since I've updated this. I've been focused on another story of mine and couldn't find the time to write this. Thank you to all who still read this and still enjoy it. :)


	11. Chapter 11

Ennis had left the school and headed back home later that afternoon. He had expected that kiss with Jack to turn into something more, but Jack knew that Ennis had never been with anyone before. His first sexual experience with someone had been with Jack in the hotel and that had scared the shit out of Ennis. He didn't think he was ready for anything more and Jack respected those feelings. And then there was just the fact that Ennis didn't want to risk doing anything more than just kissing in the classroom at school no matter if no one but them had been there.

He arrived back at home in time to help his mom with cooking dinner. The Beers' would be over in about an hour, so she was grateful for the help. His dad was out in the field, checking on the crops. If he needed Ennis, he would let him know. For now, Ennis enjoyed himself in the kitchen.

It wasn't known by anyone, but Ennis actually liked to cook. He didn't think he was any good at it, but with practice he could cook up anything he set his mind to. But he didn't let it be known because his dad taught him that only women belonged in the kitchen. Ennis didn't believe that personally, but he wasn't about to say so to his dad. He didn't know his mom's thoughts on the matter and never thought to ask. The fact that she allowed him to help her in the kitchen might be answer enough. Nothing needed to be said between them.

Ennis was setting the table when his dad walked in some time later. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down in the living room to wait for supper. Ennis finished what he was doing and his mom excused him from the kitchen. He headed upstairs to take a quick shower and tidy up before the Beers' arrived.

Once he was finished upstairs, as soon as he came back downstairs, there was a knock at the door. He prepared himself then walked over to the door and opened it, letting the Beers' family in. Alma walked in last, giving him a small smile.

Dinner wasn't a disaster and mostly because of the news Ennis brought to them in the middle of eating. He asked Alma's dad if he could start dating her. Alma was the only one who didn't seem excited about the news, which confused Ennis. He decided to get some answers from her after supper. He asked her if she would like to go out and sit on the fence with him and watch the sunset. She agreed and the two went outside. He made sure they chose a spot that was in full view of whoever might be watching inside.

He helped Alma up onto the fence, jumping up to sit beside her. They were silent for a few minutes before he got up enough courage to ask: "Everything all right?" He turned his head to look at her.

"Of course, Ennis," she assured him. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"I thought you'd be more excited about...y'know..."

"That I should be happy for finally gettin' what I've wanted for a long time now?" Alma asked. She didn't wait for him to answer. "I know I should be happy, but I keep getting mixed signals from you. You act like you don't want me. Ya even said that all you wanted right now was to be friends. And now you're tellin' my folks that you wanna start datin' me. Is this really what you want? Or did my daddy say something?"

Ennis should have expected that the horse might come up in conversation. He decided to be honest with her. "My dad said that your dad told him that if I don't start datin' you, he'll take back the horse," he said.

Alma didn't say anything for a moment. She didn't look upset with him. She glanced over her shoulder back toward the house and he could guess who she was upset with. "He shouldn't have done that," she said, turning back forward. "You shouldn't be forced into doin' somethin' ya don't wanna do." He didn't say anything about the fact that she had tried many times to get him to do something he didn't want to do. And the sudden look on her face told him that that was what she was thinking about now.

"Oh, Ennis," She hopped off the fence. "How did this happen? Everythang's just all..." She trailed off with a shake of her head as Ennis hopped off the fence beside her. She turned to him. "It's because of that new class, I bet. A new fella comes into town and teaches the young folk about sex? If anything, that just makes things worse. I would never have tried anything if I hadn't been taking that class." He wasn't entirely sure if what she was saying now was the truth, but she had obviously given some thought to what he had said to her last time. About not wanting to do anything like that with her.

"You didn't have to take the class," Ennis reminded her. "Maybe you wanted to try something all along and you needed that class to give you confidence."

Alma was silent for a moment, glancing at the house now in a way that said she was making sure no one else was coming out. She looked back at him. "I did want to know some things," she said. "You've probably learned some things as well."

"Yeah," Ennis said, but didn't elaborate. The things he learned from the class were things none of the other students had learned. Alma especially didn't need to know such things.

"And does it...make ya horny sometimes?" Alma asked. "The things he teaches? I'm just askin'. I'm not expectin' ya to tell me that I'm in your thoughts all the time."

Ennis didn't want to tell her that she was never in his thoughts, but was that even true? After all, the first time he masturbated had been right after she had guided his hand to touch her. He may have not wanted to think about it, but she had made him curious about those feelings first. He had explored it and then confessed all to Jack. And after everything that had happened between him and Jack, he dismissed the possibility that he thought of Alma in that way at any time.

"Ennis?"

"Talkin' like this don't make you uncomfortable?" Ennis asked, avoiding the question she wanted him to answer. "I get enough of it durin' the week in Mr. Twist's class. I'm honestly glad when the class is over." That was the truth. The only time he really enjoyed that classroom was on Saturdays now. When it was only him and Jack there.

"I'm comfortable around you," Alma said. "I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable."

Ennis sighed and turned away, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm just...confused all the time when I'm around you," he admitted, turning back to her. "I've experienced feelin's that I was taught to ignore. I was taught that some things just weren't right. But then I'm told that I'm allowed to do some things as long as you keep shut about it."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothin'."

"It's a guy thing right?" Alma said. "I get it. I got the talk from my daddy. That some guys might take advantage of me. That I should be quiet about certain things so the boy's reputation ain't tarnished."

Ennis was surprised by this. Were all girls taught this? It made him more upset than anything else right now. If girls weren't taught that they deserved some respect, what kind of world did they live in? "It ain't right," he muttered.

"I'm glad for that," Alma said. "Which makes me hate everything I've put you through the last couple weeks."

"It's okay," Ennis said, surprising himself that he could forgive her so easily. Especially since he had complained about her so much to Jack. "Everybody's confused because of this class."

"I'll back off, I promise," Alma said. "Do you still wanna date me? I'll talk to my daddy if -"

"I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't feel something for you, Alma," Ennis said, knowing he could never tell Jack that he felt this way about Alma. He wasn't even sure what it was that he felt, but there was some sort of connection he had with her. He couldn't tell Jack because Jack just thought that Ennis only wanted whatever it was that was happening between him and Jack. Was it selfish for him to want both experiences? What he felt around Alma was different than what he felt around Jack.

"I've been waitin' so long to hear you say somethin' like that," Alma said. "We'll take things slow. I know everyone's expectin' us to get married as soon as school's out. Once you're graduated. They've probably told you to wait until after I've graduated as well, but that ain't what my mama's preparin' me for. I might have to talk to them about that. I ain't ready to get married so soon."

"That's actually good to hear," Ennis said. "I did actually expect to hear you say you'd wanna get married quickly just so you could have sex with me."

"That never even crossed my mind," Alma said. It was her way of saying that she was fine with having sex before marriage. That went against everything they were both taught, but apparently Jack's class overruled their parents' way of thinking. "The sun's down now. Let's go back inside. I heard that your mama made some chocolate cake." She smiled at him and headed back toward the house.

He watched her go, feeling like there was something that she hadn't said. Something she was keeping from him. He decided not to worry about it and followed her inside.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait. Again. I just haven't been motivated to write this story. I have gotten some more ideas, so stay tuned for more! :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** Sorry I've been kinda ignoring this story. I've kinda been in a slump with writing anything lately. But I wanted to get back into the habit, so I decided to start with updating this one. I feel bad for going so long between updates. I have no excuse besides procrastination. If you're still interested in the story, let me know if you'd like to see scheduled updates and what day/days you'd prefer. I may not stick with the schedule, but at least it'd get me into gear with getting this story written.

* * *

Monday morning. New week and Ennis found he had an entirely new perspective on life. He and Alma had gone on their first date Sunday afternoon after church. They had gone horseback riding then had a picnic lunch. Just the two of them. And now that they were dating, Ennis no longer felt awkward around her. She was actually fun to be around. He had opened up a bit more around her, though parts of himself remained closed off. The parts that didn't entirely trust that she would try anything and the parts that only Jack saw. She seemed to pick up that he was hiding something, but since he got the same feeling from her, nothing was ever brought up. They had an unspoken understanding with each other. They were free to keep secrets from each other with no hard feelings.

Alma walked up to him in the hallway at school while he was on his way to his first class. She walked with him. "Ya hear about the field trip comin' up next week?" she asked as they walked. She took the risk and took his hand. She smiled when he let her. "Well, it's more like a campin' trip. There's this national park or somethin' up on Brokeback Mountain. Ever been there?"

"I don't go mountain climbin' that often," Ennis said. Even if he had never gone, he still knew where Brokeback Mountain was located. Everyone in town knew. "You know I don't get out much and when I do, I only go a few miles away from my house."

"Well, prepare to spend a few days away from your house," Alma said. Without coming out and saying it, she could pick up on his feelings about wanting to get away. He still felt that way even though he had already decided he was never going to leave. "And before you freak out, girls and boys are goin' on separate trips. Girls have Monday through Wednesday and the boys have Thursday through Saturday."

"I wasn't gonna freak out."

"Can't lie to me, Ennis," Alma said, a slight smirk on her face. She lowered her voice. "You gonna tell me you didn't just imagine me gettin' up in the middle of the night and sneakin' into your tent for some good ol' fun?"

Ennis cleared his throat, starting to feel uncomfortable, but she was only joking around. She gave him a kiss on the cheek which left his cheeks red and then she headed off to class. Ennis composed himself then went to his own class.

* * *

Jack placed a basket on his desk, making sure he had the entire class' attention. "Since I'm teachin' a sex ed class, it was brought to my attention by your principal to start givin' out these," he said, tapping on the side of the basket. "Condoms. So I almost decided on takin' a few minutes to explain the use. But I'm sure y'all figure that out on your own." There were a few laughs around the class. Jack glanced over at Ennis, who was just looking down at his notebook like usual. Jack almost smiled. He knew Ennis wasn't paying attention in class because Jack usually filled him in on everything that was taught when he was helping on Saturdays. Jack was looking forward to showing Ennis how to use a condom. But all in good time.

Ennis was probably also not paying attention because he knew what was coming. Part of his job on Saturdays was that he knew upcoming lessons.

"Today I wanted to take it easy, let some of y'all ask questions or whatever," Jack said, walking around to stand in front of his desk. He sat down on the edge of the desk, appearing more relaxed to the students. "Anyone have a question?" He pointed to a student who raised his hand. "Randy."

"Is it right to have sex before marriage?" Randy asked. "Some of us go to church, some of us don't, but mama's all over always say the same thing." There were a few nods around the room, agreeing with Randy's statement about being taught by their mothers.

"There's no right or wrong answer to that," Jack replied. "It all just depends on your thoughts or reasons. Do you, yourself, think it's wrong to have sex before marriage? Ignoring what you've been taught. How do YOU feel about it, Randy?"

"Well, I thought it was wrong until I met someone," Randy said, shifting nervously in his seat. "She makes me feel things I've never felt before. So now I believe, as long as two people love each other, it don't really matter when they have sex."

"I'm not sayin' y'all should immediately jump into bed together," Jack said. "Taking that intimate step with someone is a big step. Ya gotta make sure you're both ready for that. Ready and committed." He glanced over at Ennis again. Ennis hesitated with whatever he was writing, but he still didn't look up. "Anybody else have a question?"

Another hand went up. "If sex is just for committed relationships, why does my mama just do it for fun with whoever she feels like?"

"My dad's the same way!" another student chimed in.

"People's thoughts and opinions are different from others," Jack said. "Maybe you should save that question for your mama later."

"Is it normal to be horny all the time?" another student asked.

"Can you fuck your cousin?" a different student asked.

Suddenly questions started coming without Jack calling on anyone. Almost all of the students were talking at once and the discussion was starting to drift away from education and was just entering discussions about porn. Jack tried to answer what he could until he was able to quiet everyone down.

"We're done with questions for the day," Jack said. "If you have more questions or thoughts, write it down and hand it in tomorrow." He gave a quiet sigh of relief when the bell rang. He walked around and sat down at his desk while the students filed out. Once they were all gone, he wasn't surprised to see that Ennis had stayed behind. "Somethin' on your mind, Ennis?"

Ennis grabbed his backpack and stood up from his desk, walking forward. "Next week there's a school campin' trip," he said. "It was announced this morning. With the way the schedule is, I won't be able to help ya out next Saturday."

"I know about the trip," Jack said. "It ain't mandatory, y'know. If you don't wanna go, you don't have to. Ya can still help out on Saturday."

"That's the thing..." Ennis said. "I want to go."

"Oh," Jack said. He had thought Ennis was the type that didn't get out much. Now here he was, wanting to go on a camping trip for a few days with people he barely talked to on a regular basis. "Well, that's fine. I'll put it down that you'll miss next Saturday so it won't go on your record."

"So you won't need help with anything next Saturday?"

Jack gave him a reassuring smile. "If I need anything, I know where to find ya," he said, wondering if Ennis knew what he meant. He knew where the school would be traveling to. Brokeback Mountain, only a couple hours drive from where they were right now. He hadn't been able to stop imagining Ennis out in the wild, more than likely alone in his tent. He could picture himself sneaking into Ennis's tent in the middle of the night, taking him into his arms. He had felt those strong arms on him already, so it was easy to imagine Ennis taking charge in his fantasy.

"Have fun on the trip," Jack said. He didn't say anything now, but he was going to find a way to be a chaperone on that trip. He already knew that three adults were required to go on that trip. He would just have to hope that no one else had volunteered or they would allow four adults to go.

Either way, he wasn't going to let Ennis spend three days up in the mountains without him.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I know this is kinda short, but I wanted the Brokeback trip to be all in one chapter. Keep an eye out for that. Hopefully I'll keep this updated in a timely fashion. :)


	13. Chapter 13

It was the day of the Brokeback Mountain trip. And ever since Ennis had learned that a certain teacher would be coming along on the trip as well, he had almost backed out of it completely. He still felt nervous whenever he was near Jack. It was almost like something was there, pulling the two together. If he was up in the mountains, away from the town, with Jack in his sights, Ennis was afraid he wouldn't be able to help himself. Jack would say that that was fine. He would probably even encourage Ennis to act on those feelings. But ever since he started dating Alma, doing anything with Jack hadn't seemed right. Even when they did find time alone, Ennis had kept his distance. Jack hadn't said anything, so he hadn't taken anything the wrong way. Or maybe Jack just thought Ennis was going to wait until they were alone somewhere on Brokeback to do anything else.

Ennis grabbed his bag from his bed then headed downstairs. He walked into the kitchen where his mom was making breakfast. He set his bag down, looking up at the clock to check the time. He had plenty of time to get to town before the bus arrived to take the students to Brokeback. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the table where there was already a plate of breakfast ready.

"Where's dad?" Ennis asked, grabbing his fork and starting to eat. He probably didn't have to ask. At this time, his dad would be out tending the farm and whatnot. He just asked to fill the silence so his thoughts didn't wander out of control.

She fixed up another plate then walked over to the table to sit down with Ennis. She would start fixing his dad's breakfast in a few minutes. They had been married long enough for her to know exactly how long it would take her to make breakfast in time for her husband to eat when he walked in. "He took Starbright out for a ride," she said. "He probably won't be back until after you leave. Do you need a ride to the school? Your daddy said it'd be fine to leave the truck up there til you get back."

"Leavin' the truck up there's fine," Ennis said with a slight nod of his head. "I won't be back until late Saturday night, so y'all won't have to worry about comin' up there to pick me up."

His mom nodded and they sat there in silence for a few minutes. Enough time for Ennis's mind to start wandering to places it didn't need to wander to.

"Hey, mama?" Ennis spoke up. She looked up from her breakfast to look at him. He was nervous about saying anything, but then the question came out before he could stop it. "How would you feel if I didn't wanna be with a woman?" As soon as he saw her reaction, he regretted ever saying anything.

She sat completely still, a look of terror crossing her face for a split second then she shook her head sharply. "You can't be thinkin' things like that, Ennis," she said. "You know folks like that go straight to hell. Pastor says so. Men like that... _queers..."_ She said the word as if it were a curse word. "Men like that ain't men." She shook her head once more. "It'd be best if ya purged your innocent mind of that, Ennis."

"It was just somethin' Mr. Twist had us ask," Ennis said, coming up with an excuse. "I ain't like that. I'm with Alma, after all." He didn't know how much of a save that was, but she looked like she had relaxed some.

"I knew that class would be up to no good," she said, sounding relieved. Ennis couldn't believe she felt that way about things. "If it wasn't for your father, I'd be takin' you outta that class. Probably outta school all together. You'd learn much more from me here at home."

"I like school," Ennis said. That was only partly true. He liked school because it gave him time away from here at home. Which was feeling less and less like home now. He was supposed to feel safe at home. Now he just felt targeted. After this, she would surely be keeping a closer eye on whatever he brought home from school. He wished he could go back and take the question back.

But would he then have regretted not asking? Not knowing how she felt was worse than knowing.

"I gotta get goin'," Ennis said, not finishing his breakfast. He stood up and grabbed his bag. "They'd like students to be there early," he added before she could ask. He turned and left quickly.

* * *

The trip to Brokeback Mountain was uneventful. Ennis sat toward the back by himself while the other male students joked around or whatnot. And since Jack was coming along on the trip, there was a lot of sex talk. Ennis tuned them all out and just stared out the window. He could feel eyes on him every once in a while and knew it was Jack debating whether or not to come talk to him. After his talk with his mom, Ennis hadn't been in a good mood, so maybe that showed. At least to Jack. The others wouldn't have noticed. They had never noticed anything special about Ennis before.

When they arrived at the park, they had to go the rest of the way to camp on horseback. Ennis felt more comfortable once he was on the back of a horse and was in a better mood by the time they made camp that afternoon. They found a spot by the lake and everyone helped each other set up tents. By the time everything was set up, it was getting closer to evening.

"I'll go get some firewood," Ennis volunteered. The others looked relieved that they wouldn't be put on that duty. They all lived in a small town, but the students here to get out in nature that much. They just hung around town with friends. Ennis felt more at home out here than he did in his own home. He would gladly stay out here forever if he could.

"Someone's gotta go with ya," one of the teachers said. His name was Mr. King and he taught biology. The two other teachers that had also come were Mr. Stephens and of course Jack. "It's gettin' ta be dark. Who the hell knows what might be prowlin' 'round in them woods."

"I'll go with ya," Jack volunteered. Stephens handed him a pistol as he walked past. Jack stuck the gun in his belt as he walked over to Ennis. "I might be 'city folk.' but I've spent a time or two campin' with my folks." He didn't seem to be too fond of those memories.

"All right," Ennis said then turned, grabbed a flashlight, then led the way off into the woods. It was a few minutes walk before they were able to find any good firewood. Ennis couldn't even see the camp anymore. He knelt down and started picking up logs.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Ennis," Jack said, finally speaking up. "But it feels like you've been tryin' to avoid me." He sat down on a fallen tree, a way of saying that he wasn't going to help out until they talked.

Ennis remained kneeling where he was, his arms already full of firewood. "Whaddya mean?"

"You know what I mean."

Ennis looked down at the firewood in his arms then let them drop into a pile and stood up, keeping his eyes down. "You know I've started datin' Alma," he said. "I didn't wanna get into anything. Mess things up with her."

"You're worried about cheatin' on her," Jack said. "I thought you didn't even want to date her."

"It's complicated," Ennis said. His feelings may have grown warmer toward Alma lately, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt like dating a sister. Even her actions toward him had changed over the last week. When he saw her at school after she had gotten back from her trip to Brokeback it was like they weren't even dating. She had gotten what she thought she wanted and had found out it wasn't what she actually wanted, it seemed like. "Our families wanna push us together." Speaking of family brought up the conversation he had had with his mom that morning.

"This forced thing ain't right," Jack said with a shake of his head. "You deserve to be happy."

"Ya think I'd be happy with you?" Ennis asked, finally looking over at Jack. "You know how I was raised. You know how that town is. We'd have to keep it secret. What kinda life is that? How can anyone be happy with that?"

"There's places where it's accepted," Jack said. "You even said you wanna get outta this place. We could go anywhere." He gestured around. "Hell, we could be ourselves out in the middle of nowhere. You really think you'd be happy with the way your life's goin' now?"

"I can't just up and leave," Ennis said. "That's not realistic."

"What're you makin' excuses for?" Jack asked. "I know how hard it is to up and leave. I've done it. And I got through it. You'd have me right there with you."

"It's just best if I stay put," Ennis said, grabbing up the firewood. "If I just took off..." He trailed off as he turned away, facing back toward camp.

"What happened, Ennis?" Jack asked. "Somethin's been botherin' ya all day."

Ennis was silent for a few minutes. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep quiet about it for much longer. And if he let something slip when he wasn't supposed to... He turned back to Jack. "I talked to my mama this mornin'," he said. "I don't know why, but I asked her how she'd feel if I didn't wanna be with a woman." Jack looked shocked by this. That was understandable concerning how much Ennis didn't want to talk to anybody about certain things. "I put it off as some hypothetical thang, but what she said..." He tossed the firewood away angrily, kicking at the sticks on the ground.

"Ennis."

"I know she wasn't talkin' 'bout me, but she pretty much said I ain't a man," Ennis said, not turning even when he heard Jack walk over to where he was standing.

"You think you ain't a man?" Jack asked. Ennis didn't say anything, but that was obviously answer enough.

Ennis was taken by surprise when Jack reached down, placing his hand on the front of his jeans. Ennis reached down and grabbed Jack's wrist, but that just made Jack squeeze his groin. It wasn't a hard squeeze. In fact, it was the kind of squeeze that felt good. Ennis still kept his eyes forward, his sweaty palm against Jack's arm.

"Ya feel that?" Jack asked, stroking the outline of Ennis's hardening cock. "Can't feel that and not be a man."

"But two men...that ain't natural," Ennis said, warring with everything he had learned growing up. Part of him wanted to rip Jack's hand away and punch him across the face. But the stronger side of him...wanted more. "She said -"

"Ya can't always believe what your parents tell ya," Jack said. He let go of Ennis's crotch, but then grabbed his arm and pulling him over to a tree surrounded by a few bushes. An out of the way stop. Someone would have to be standing in the bush to see them.

Jack leaned back against the tree. "You wanna be a man, then be a man," he said.

Ennis just stood there, not knowing what to do, but his thoughts went back to what his dad had told him once before. That he could have sex and as long as the other person didn't say anything, a man's reputation wouldn't be tarnished. It was a longshot, but it helped Ennis's way of thinking. And after his talk with his mom, he knew what he wanted. If he hadn't known what he wanted, what his mom had said about 'queers' wouldn't have hurt as much as it had.

Ennis grabbed Jack and turned him around so his back was to Ennis. Jack bent over a large rock that was up against the tree then dropped his jeans to his ankles. Ennis decided not to think about it and pulled down Jack's boxers. The sight of the naked ass in front of him made him stop for a moment, but his cock was starting to throb against his own clothes. He shoved his jeans down then placed one hand on Jack's back, bending him forward more.

"Don't forget to spit in ya hand, Ennis," Jack said. Did he sound a bit nervous? For some reason, that made Ennis feel better. "Get it wet and then it'll slide right in." He reached back, grabbing his own ass and pulling the cheeks apart.

Ennis was distracted by Jack's asshole. It was silly, but he had never seen anything like it. Without thinking about it, he reached up and rubbed a finger across the hole. The noise that came out of Jack wasn't loud, but it spoke directly to Ennis's cock.

Ennis spit in his hand a few times, rubbing the saliva all over his cock. He stepped forward and pressed against Jack, his cock slowly sliding into the older man's tight hole. The two groaned together at the feeling. Jack murmured something quietly, but Ennis was pretty sure he had said: "Fuck me."

For a moment neither of them moved. Ennis placed both hands on the rock on either side of Jack, who was no pressed up against the rock. But he wasn't complaining. Ennis moved his hips back and forward experimentally. Jack's moans urged him to keep moving. Ennis started thrusting his hips, unable to perfectly describe the feeling, but it was a release. A release of so many things he had kept bottled up inside for years. Maybe his whole life.

Ennis started moving faster then found himself grabbing tightly onto Jack and thrusting harder. Jack encouraged him to keep going. Ennis didn't know how long it went on, but he found that he didn't much care about that. He fucked Jack until he came with a long, hard groan. This orgasm was a lot different than the time he had jerked off, that was for sure. It even felt different than that time in Jack's motel room.

"Fuck, Ennis," Jack moaned, groaning as Ennis pulled out and stepped back. Ennis wasn't sure how to feel seeing his cum leaking out of Jack's ass. Fear took a hold of him again. He pulled his jeans up and hurried back over to where the firewood was.

He heard Jack moving around. He looked over his shoulder and caught Jack squatting, using certain muscles to push a lot of Ennis's cum out of him. Ennis quickly looked away, gathering up the firewood as Jack finished up.

Both fully dressed, they headed back to camp.


End file.
